The Woman Behind the Bars
by Jocelyn Torrent
Summary: After Cora's death, Regina doesn't have much else to live for and forsakes magic once again for her son. Emma is behind her while Gold sees a once in a lifetime opportunity. Will there finally be a chance for happy endings or will history repeat? Will Emma finally be able to see the woman behind the bars?
1. Chapter 1: The Woman Behind the Bars

**A/N: This has not been proofread and, in fact, might not be very good. It's been so long that I've been able to write anything that when the words started coming I just let it happen. I hope you enjoy.**

The Woman Behind the Bars

Emma didn't know what to think as she pounded the pavement on her way to Mifflin Street. Her steps were harsh, violent, and comforting as she felt her boots slam against the concrete. The rhythmic movements and sounds were the only thing propelling her forward, for her mind was surely not focused on her journey.

No, her mind was the news she had just been informed of by her mother, Mary Margaret. Snow White. Fairest in all the lands. Or so that was what she had been led to believe. But no matter how repetitive the tales were, they had still been proven wrong. Snow had killed Regina's mother. And she had done it in the cruelest way possible: by manipulation. She used a mother's love against Regina and thus was how daughter killed mother.

Emma spat on the ground to rid her mouth of the taste of bile. Her stomach churned at the mere notion of what her mother had done. She remembered all too vividly returning from the woods with Neal to find Snow huddled up on her bed. Her knees were to her chest, arms wrapped around herself as if she would literally fall apart if she let go. Her fair and beautiful skin was sunken in and a sickly shade of green, bags resting under wide and incoherent eyes.

"I killed her," she had whispered when Emma sat on the side of the bed, across from Charming who was attempting to get her to drink some tea. "I…this is not who I am."

Charming was quick to comfort, and Emma fell nausea swelling in her gut as she looked upon them. She knew Snow wanted to be comforted. Who wouldn't want to be comforted after some cold blooded murder? But she couldn't do it. Because, deep down, Emma knew that she deserved this pain. She deserved those guilt ridden thoughts and self-hatred that was scorching through her body. Even if just for a day, she deserved it.

Snow White paid her no mind as Emma grabbed her jacket and headed out the door, ignoring both Neal and her father's inquiries. She didn't really have a plan when she left the house; she just knew she couldn't be in their presence any more. She loved her parents, and she knew they loved her, but happiness is never a constant even when true love is involved. So Emma began walking, with no real destination in mind. But her feet seemed to know where they were headed so she allowed them to guide her.

And here she was, turning onto Mifflin Street, conscious now of where she was heading, and yet not turning back. For inside the mayoral mansion, there was a soul that needed saving. Emma still wasn't sure what all her title as 'savior' required, but as she turned down the paved path past the once well-manicured shrubs and stared up at one of the most intimidating houses in town, she knew what she had to do. Inside the house was a woman considered evil, a woman known for murder and revenge and manipulation. But also, inside was a woman, a human being, a tortured soul now utterly alone. If this wasn't the definition of someone who needed saving, Emma wasn't sure she wanted the job.

Her hand shook as she reached out for the doorbell, her ears humming at the silence of the town. Her fingertip had just grazed the button when she pulled back, unable to break the serene silence. Maybe Regina found it serene as well. Instead, she grabbed a hold of the latch, and let herself inside.

All of the lights were off, but the house was cleanly illuminated by the large windows that adorned the house. Everything was spotless and Emma swallowed hard as she saw the gleam of the stainless steel kitchen and that the couch pillows had even been fluffed. The woman who lost everything still cared about appearances it seemed. Or maybe…she simply had nothing else to do. Out of habit, Emma slid her boots off and set them by the door on an expectant mat. Her socks padded silently on the hardwood as she made her way past the bannister and down the hallway.

As suspected, the door to the ex-Mayor's office was closed. Emma could see light flitting back and forth from underneath the door frame. She stepped towards it and gently placed her ear against the wood, listening. It was warm to the touch. She could hear nothing but the crackling of a fire. Taking a deep breath, Emma slowly turned the doorknob, giving Regina plenty of time to come and wrench the door from her fingers. But no such response came. Instead, Emma pushed the door completely open and allowed it to softly hit against the wall.

The Evil Queen Regina, still her black boots with black hose and black jacket, was sitting on the floor. Her back was pressed up against the coffee table, legs straight out in front of her in a childlike pose. She stared straight ahead into the fire. Her left hand cradled a drink, but it looked untouched, the ice inside the glass nearly gone. Her right hand was balled into a fist so tight that Emma could see her white knuckles and the subtle shake of effort.

In all her time in Storybrooke, she had never seen the Queen look so…utterly defeated. Emma's stomach lurched again as she took in the figure surrounded by luxurious furniture, sitting on the floor, ruining an expensive drink with melting ice. It was a hard thing to witness and she looked away momentarily, fingers dancing along the door knob.

"Come to finish what your mother started, Miss Swan?"

Regina's voice was so weak it did not break the mood of silence. It still had that rasp, still had the diction and clarity of a woman raised by procedure and etiquette, but it lacked its natural confidence and bite. And those words directed at her broke Emma from her stupor. There wasn't even an underlying tone of malice or baiting. In fact, if Emma had come to kill her, she was certain she could do so, and Regina would not even turn to greet it. For death had already claimed her some time ago. The only thing that had her clinging to life had died in her arms this morning.

Regina's glass clinked as she set it on the coffee table behind her, shoulders rising with a heavy sigh. "Forgive me for not standing, but given that you're in my house uninvited I'd say we're past courtesy."

"I took off my shoes, if it's any consolation," Emma offered, looking down at her striped blue socks.

"I didn't," was Regina's only response, her booted foot twitching as if to further the point.

Emma swayed from side to side for a moment before stepping inside of the office. She made her way over to the chair that was facing Regina's left side and sat down slowly, eyeing the brunette. From this angle she could see the rivers of tears shining in the firelight as they rain down Regina's cheeks. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen, but it looked like she had long since run out of tears. Her hair looked slightly greasy and Emma was reminded with the image of how often the Queen liked to run her hand through it. If that was a nervous or calming reaction, she was surprised Regina had any hair left. She also noticed just how close her feet were to the fireplace.

"You know, the rubber from your shoes is gonna melt into your feet soon," she offered, simply to have something to say.

Regina's eyebrows rose lazily as she looked at her boots but a hum was her only response. Emma felt herself growing more worried as she watched the brunette on the floor. She seemed so lifeless, so pathetic. It was a side to Regina that Emma had never seen. When she first thought of how Regina would react to the news of her mother's death, Emma thought that she would be violently vindictive. She had nothing else to live for so why not burn the entire town to the ground.

If she had decided to, Emma wouldn't have blamed her. She would have tried to stop her, certainly, but blame would have been a non-issue. But to see this powerhouse of magic crumpled on the floor... Emma realized she wasn't prepared to deal with this. The majority of her interactions with the queen had been filled with violence and verbal spats. Emma was good at those. She was good at being on the defensive. But comforting someone...she couldn't remember the last time she'd consoled someone other than herself. And even then shed stopped doing that at a young age when it started getting redundant. Emma watched quietly as Regina's eyes darted towards the window, out into the darkening sky. And in that moment Emma recognized a look that used to befall her own eyes. It was a desire to run away. Run away and start over or run away to end it all. Which scenario Regina was thinking of she couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she couldn't let her to continue to think that way. No good ever came from running away. Emma could attest that several times over.

"Snow told me about what happened," Emma said slowly, gauging Regina's reaction. "I'm...I'm sorry about Cora."

That earned her a light scoff. Slowly Regina's head turned and coal eyes burned into Emma's own green. "Haven't we learned by now that lying gets us nowhere?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Emma's mouth. "I'm not lying. Cora was an evil bitch, but, what Snow did..." She drifted, unsure of what to say. She hated what her mother did, but knew that the rage would pass with time and their wounds would mend. Regina would never be able to hold on to that kind of hope again. "Was she...always like that?"

"Mmm," Regina answered, adjusting her position slightly. "I thought her loving and caring when I was young and stupid. As I grew older I learned to see through that manipulation."

"I can't imagine you ever being stupid," Emma responded honestly, which earned her a skeptical glance.

"Every time I fell for one of her games, every time I allowed myself to smile or feel content in her presence, that was stupidity. And look where it's brought me." Regina swallowed then, and reached behind her for the glass, taking a small drink and wincing slightly at the dilution.

Emma looked around the room for a decanter but gave up after finding none. She didn't want to have to leave this room and risk either of them coming back to reality just yet. "You weren't stupid for wanting to believe in your mother. I did that my entire life."

To Emma's surprise, Regina gave a slight smile. "Miss Swan, you have been known to do very stupid things. I don't think that example is exactly helpful."

"I have moments of brilliance," Emma countered, relaxing into the chair a little more. "Did you love her, even when you knew her for what she was?"

Regina turned and glared at her so sharply that Emma thought for sure she was about to be thrown out of the house. But as soon as it had come, Regina's face softened, as if she was too exhausted to be upset. "When you thought your parents had abandoned you, did you love them?"

Emma gave a knowing nod and Regina returned it once before taking another small drink. "We can't help who we love. I imagine I would have turned out quite differently if we could." The queen looked back to the fire and Emma watched how the fire caught her features.

If fairytales were to be believed, or rather, taken at face value, The Evil Queen hated Snow White because Snow was prettier than her. But it went without question that the most beautiful person in the town, or possibly the state, was Regina. It was in precious moments from their interactions that Emma could see a beauty that came from inside. Most of the time it showed up when Henry was around or mentioned. Regina's eyes would soften and her mouth would fall, along with all of her barriers. Even if it was just for a moment, it was worth it… every single time.

"If you could go back and change it all, would you?" Emma asked, exhaling a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"That's quite a heavy question, Miss Swan," Regina said after a long pause, finishing her drink and setting it silently back on the table. "Would I go back and stop the murders, the revenge, all the broken hearts and be reunited with Daniel to lose the ten years I had with Henry before you showed up?"

"Regina, we don't always have to fight about Henry."

"No. We do," Regina spat quickly, reminding Emma of the Evil Queen she was so familiar with. The darkened gleam had returned to her eye along with that scarred snarl. "As long as I am kept from him, I will fight for him. The curse and pride of being a mother."

Emma ran her hands along her thighs as she tried to keep her composure. This wasn't why she was here. Too often were these moments of insight ruined by pride and defenses.

"Okay, fine, but come on, you're a flight risk with a bad magical temper and the entire town wants your head. I think we can both agree that Henry's safety is our top priority."

Regina made no response to that, but her shoulders did straighten a little, attempting to regain her regal pose. It must be almost natural, Emma thought, to hide behind such a glamorous and confident façade. Regina had only been her true self for a handful of people. Could she still distinguish between herself and the Evil Queen?

"Why are you here, Miss Swan?" Regina asked finally, breaking her silence.

It was a simple enough and easily foreshadowed question, and yet it caught Emma off guard. She felt her cheeks redden a bit and blinked a few times to regain her thought process. She knew why she had come here but to say it out loud, in front of Regina herself, was a little intimidating.

"I-I just wanted to…check on you…make sure you were okay, you know?"

Regina shook her head incredulously and scoffed. "And now you're concerned? You didn't care at all how I felt when you took my son from me, when you accused me of murdering the cricket, when the entire town came for my blood, or when they blatantly ignored my attempts to turn around. You're a hypocritical waste of compassion like your mother and I've no tolerance for it."

"My mother was wrong to do what she did."

Regina shot up then, a maniacal sort of smile on her lips. Her white teeth glistened in the light and made her look as if she was spitting fire. "Yes, and let me guess: she's sitting at home with that stupid doe eyed look wondering wherever such an evil idea could have come from. And what a terrible person she must be. And everyone is gathered around her, consoling her and reminding her that, no, she's not evil. She's best person any stupid sheepherder could love."

A fresh tear escaped the corner of the Queen's eye and she was quick to wipe it away. "And she'll try to make amends, because it's the 'right' thing to do but when things don't go her way—such as when I refuse her apology—the spoiled princess will get upset and do everything in her power to 'stop' me. How am I doing?"

Emma shook her head slowly, watching as Regina's movements slowed, her initial excitement dwindling the last of her energy. "Pretty much hit the nail on the head."

The Queen's shoulders slumped as she exhaled slowly, sitting down on the chair opposite Emma. "I've grown weary of this redundancy," she said as she brought a hand up to rub at tired eyes. "I was hoping when you came along that you'd be the one to break the cycle…for better or worse. But it looks like you're just as stupid as the loins you come from."

Emma opened her mouth to retaliate but paused as she watched the familiar motion of Regina running her hand through her hair. It fell back to its original position immediately, encircling the strong jaw that appeared to be quivering ever so slightly.

"Children shouldn't be blamed for the faults of their parents. Snow and I are alike in that regard." Regina smiled faintly, bringing her eyes back to Emma. "You and I are similar in that regard as well." The last words came out faint and hoarse and Regina shook her head, clenching her eyes shut as she felt the tears fall from them.

It wasn't until Emma heard the sound of a restrained sob that she moved, rising from her seat and making her way over to the Queen. Regina's glare was far less intimidating in this state and she paid no mind to it as she crouched in front of her, placing her hand on Regina's arm. Surprisingly, her hand was permitted to stay and Emma gave a weak smile as she looked up at the Queen.

They were quiet for a few moments as Regina tried to compose herself. Somewhere along the way Emma had taken to holding Regina's hand. It was limp in her palm but it didn't stop the blonde from rubbing consoling circles on it with her thumb. With one last quick sniff, a slightly more composed Regina looked down at Emma, shaking her head in disbelief. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper, still choking on the sadness she used to bury so well.

"She said I would have been enough."

Emma looked up at the woman in front of her, the tear stains down her cheeks, eyes red and swollen. She felt the quivering of the palm in her grasp and for a brief moment she saw through the walls. There in front of her was vulnerability and such a deep self-loathing that Emma felt her gut ache in response. Emma was up in an instant, taking the Queen by surprise as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her. Regina went rigid, but did not pull away and Emma used the time to her advantage, using her nose to brush away hair from Regina's ear and press her lips to it.

"You are enough."

An eternity of silence passed between them before Emma felt a single shaking palm against her back.


	2. Chapter 2: The Book

The Book

It was early morning when Emma returned home. She opened the door quietly and tiptoed in only to see that everyone was already awake. That or they hadn't gone to sleep to begin with. Charming was still sitting beside his wife on the bed. Snow had finally released herself and was settling for staring down at the teacup in her hand. Neal sat on the couch with a sleeping Henry in his lap and he gave an awkward wave.

"Where did you go?" Charming half-whispered from the bed as Emma shrugged off her jacket.

Emma looked to Henry, and Neal seemed to get the hint for he gently rose from the couch and picked Henry up, carrying the boy upstairs to Emma's bed. "I went to see Regina," she said simply as she headed into the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee.

Snow shot up so quickly that the tea spilled over onto her quilt. "I…h-how is she?" she asked with a quivering voice.

Emma's eyebrows rose as she turned on the coffee maker. "How do you think? She's devastated."

Snow clenched her eyes shut and shook her head as if to wake herself up from a nightmare and Charming placed a hand on her back, rubbing it consolingly. "What does she plan to do?" he asked.

"I don't know…mourn?" Emma answered as she poured herself a cup and inhaled deeply. A small smile graced her face until she looked over at Charming's unamused expression.

"Emma, this is serious. We have to know what Regina's up to. My wife's life hangs in the balance."

"Who is Regina?" Neal asked as he descended the stairs, looking to Emma. "I mean, who was she in the other land?"

"She was the evil queen. She's the one who cast the curse that brought us all here," Charming answered bitterly, his hand unconsciously moving to his holstered gun.

"She's also Henry's adoptive mother," Emma finished, getting mild satisfaction as the color drained from Neal's face and he whistled softly.

"That's gonna be a hell of a custody battle," he said, rubbing at his stubble, smirking when Emma chuckled just a bit.

"Emma, what are we going to do?" Charming asked again.

Everyone's eyes fell on her, including Snow's, and Emma took a slow drink of her coffee—which turned out to be terrible- before murmuring into it. "I don't see why we have to do anything."

"Because she's going to—

"I don't think so. I don't think she's going to do anything," Emma said, exasperated. She set the coffee cup on the table and made her way into the living room, sitting on the couch and closing her tired eyes. "You should have seen her. She was…totally broken. Like she had nothing to live for." Emma's hands began to tingle as she remembered seeing the queen on the ground, the tears on her face and the look in her eyes. She remembered her returning the hug, however briefly. And when that hand fell, Emma left, not wanting to overstay her welcome. Regina didn't even watch her go.

"If she's got nothing to live for then there's no limit to what she'll do," Snow whispered, rubbing at her chest as if to see if her heart was still there.

"No, she's still got Henry. She'll be going after him even harder now," Charming countered, his eyes darting back and forth as he thought of all of the possible scenarios in which Regina could ruin their lives again.

Emma groaned from the couch and placed a pillow over her face, muttering a muffled, "It's cool, ignore every single word I say."

Neal looked over at her and gently tipped the pillow from her face. She glared at him and he shrugged as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Look, I only know her from what I saw at the shop. And she looked like she was willing to go through all of us to get what she wanted. Now, maybe she has changed and we've got nothing to worry about. But maybe she hasn't. I mean, after mourning comes anger and I don't want my son," he jutted his thumb towards the stairs, "to pay for us not being prepared."

Emma's stomach turned inwardly as she thought of Henry as Neal's son. Technically, he wasn't wrong to say it, but it still ate at her in a way she wasn't sure she liked. Heaving a sigh, she rose from the couch and reached for her coffee again. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"

0-0-0-0-0

When Regina first heard the sound of her door opening and saw those blonde curls in her peripheral, her first instinct was to fling Emma Swan out of the room via magic. But immediately after, she realized that it wasn't actually what she wanted to do. The thought was tempting at first, yes, to be able to inflict the same amount of pain she felt on someone else. But as her fatigued body protested any movement, she stumbled upon the notion that she didn't want to hurt anyone at all. Not right now, anyway. Right now, she simply wanted to curl up into a ball and close her eyes forever.

It was an immature notion, a fool one filled with naivety that her mother would surely laugh at. Maybe that was why she wanted it. Maybe giving her mother something to patronize or correct would bring her back from death like magic and science could not. Or maybe, instead of trying to bring her mother back, she should go and be with her instead.

The thought of death never really scared Regina Mills. It may have in the past, when she was young and full of love and life. But when everything has been stolen from you, what reason is there to get back up? And maybe that was why she allowed Emma Swan to enter her study. Maybe that was why she answered her questions and even cried in front of her.

At the time it had been comforting. Even the bizarre hug was a source of comfort. It had been so long since she was touched with any sort of sincerity that her body ached on the contact. For a brief moment, wrapped in the arms of someone without an agenda, Regina thought that everything was going to be alright.

That was another fool notion.

For the emotion had passed. She was still aching over her mother, yes, but the tears and overall antics were over and done. Now, as she sat in the kitchen with a cold cup of coffee watching the light dance along her kitchen, she was stuck wondering what to do. For the briefest of moments, her eyes flashed to the knives in the holder on the counter. No, she couldn't, wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of ending her life in such a manner. Regina took a sip of her coffee to shake the thoughts from her mind when she heard a soft knock at her door.

She turned and glanced at the door from her perch on the barstool, wondering if she'd misheard. But another soft knock came and she gracefully lifted herself from her seat and made her way over to the door. Her chest tightened with every step at the notion of who could be behind it. She had far more enemies than friends and the odds never tended to run in her favor. Deciding to skip the peephole and brace her death in a more dignified manner, Regina grabbed the latch and pulled.

Emma Swan, clad in the same clothes she was wearing mere hours ago stood in front of her, hands shoved begrudgingly in her jacket pockets. Relief flooded through Regina's system and she tilted her head at the blonde.

"I hope you're not planning to make a habit of these visits, Miss Swan," she taunted, looking past Emma to see if there was perhaps an ambush waiting behind her bushes.

Emma gave a short laugh in agreement before sighing. "Yeah, I need to talk to you, if that's okay."

"About what?"

"Can I…uh," Emma looked around and shrugged, knowing that she would be blushing if her cheeks weren't already pink from the cold. "It's cold."

Regina rolled her eyes but stepped aside, allowing Emma into her home yet again. Emma raced in and quickly stepped to the side, removing her boots before Regina had time to comment that she couldn't possibly be staying long enough for that to be necessary. When she was done she looked to Regina and gave a weak smile. As much as Regina wanted to roll her eyes again, her manners wouldn't allow it, so she merely put on her best condescending look and gestured towards the kitchen. "Would you care for some coffee?"

"Oh, god, please," Emma practically begged as she followed the brunette into the kitchen.

They were silent as Regina prepared a fresh pot and Emma settled herself on the counter. Regina kept her eyes focused on her task, her mind running through all of the possibilities as to why Emma would have come back. It couldn't have been to kill her. She would have brought her posse with her for that. Maybe she was just attempting to play the part of a concerned friend and checking on her again. Regina wasn't quite sure what to think of that notion.

Emma watched the queen silently, playing with her fingers and occasionally popping a knuckle or two. Regina was quick and precise in everything she did, not spilling a single coffee bean or drop of water. And even then she still wiped the counter when the coffee began to brew. Emma wondered if that was a sort of OCD and couldn't help but envy the cleanliness a little. It wasn't until a fresh cup of coffee was placed in front of her that she looked up to meet Regina's eyes.

She knew that the walls were back up, but she couldn't resist searching just a little for something real. But Regina's eyes were as black as the drink in her hand and she chose to stare into that instead as the queen cleared her throat.

"My hospitality and patience has its limits, Miss Swan. Please state your reasons for coming into my home yet again."

Emma nodded, and took a drink, then two more. It could have been her fatigue talking, but that was the best cup of coffee she'd ever tasted. Nevertheless, she placed it on the counter and cleared her throat. "As I'm sure you can understand, Snow and Charming are…a little concerned about whatever's going to happen next."

"What is going to happen next?" Regina asked with her old mayoral smile back in place.

"They want me to arrest you."

Regina snorted at that and took another drink of her coffee. Surprisingly, Emma nodded her agreement and took a drink as well. "I'm pretty sure this is the best coffee in the world."

"Must be my secret ingredient," Regina answered with a raised eyebrow, her smile growing wider as Emma shot her an unimpressed look.

"Back to why I'm here," the blonde grumbled apathetically as if this was the last place she wanted to be. "I don't want to arrest you and it would be pointless for me to try, so maybe we can come up with a compromise."

"Such as?"

Emma licked her lips and took a deep breath. "Henry's told me before that you have a book of magic."

Regina's eyes darkened at that, her fingers curling around her mug. "And?"

"And I figured if you were willing to hand it over that might be good enough for them to not be so gung-ho on bringing you in."

"How do I know this isn't some scheme to get me defenseless before you try to 'bring me in?'" Regina growled bringing her face close to Emma's. "And how do you know I want to give the book up?"

Emma rose to the challenge, bringing her face in as well. She could smell the coffee and the barest hints of day old perfume lingering on Regina and gave a soft smile. "I know you don't want to fight anymore. I saw it last night. You're just as sick of all this shit as I am. Give me the book and everyone's happy."

"You mean you and your parents are happy," Regina spat as she lifted herself from the counter. "All they've ever done is take from me and yet I'm the one that has to give up my book? That wouldn't make me happy, Miss Swan."

"Think of the benefits though."

"What benefits?"

"Henry would—

Regina's hands slammed down onto the counter, causing Emma to nearly jump out of her chair. "Don't you _dare_ use my son as a bargaining chip. Snow already used my mother against me. Is nothing beneath you Charmings?"

Emma held up her hands in surrender. She could punch holes through Regina's argument and a big proud part of her wanted to. But another part of her remembered last night and that part yearned to reason with Regina more than her pride wanted to fight.

"I'm being completely serious, Regina. Henry hates magic. You're using it. The kid's so black and white that giving up the book could be a huge eye opener for him. I want you to see your son again. But you have to help me out."

Emma watched as the skin around Regina's eyes softened just a bit. Her eyes remained emotionless but the blonde could see that she was trying to make herself believe what Emma was saying was the truth. And it was. After a few more moments of contemplation, Regina opened her mouth, only to be silenced by another knock on the door. Both women turned to the sound and Regina's eyes flashed to Emma, who shook her head.

"I swear I'm the only one that came."

Instead of responding, Regina merely rounded the counter and headed for the door, only to be stopped by a gentle tug on her arm. "May I?" Emma asked, "I have fewer enemies than you."

Regina pulled her arm back with a furrowed brow but did nothing more and Emma took the initiative to step past her and open the door. Neal stood on the other side and his face broke out into a relieved smile as he met Emma's widened eyes.

"Neal, what the hell are you doing here?" Emma implored through gritted teeth.

"I just came to make sure you were—

Neal stopped as Emma felt the door being tugged from her hand and opened wider. Regina appeared behind Emma and she looked Neal up and down before turning her glare on him. "You were at the shop yesterday," she said almost to herself as Neal's eyes darted between the two women. "Who are you and why are you here?"

Neal attempted a smile and took a step back. "My name's Neal, I'm uh…I was…" he looked to Emma for help but she appeared to still be surprised by his appearance.

"Well?" Regina asked impatiently, her fingernails tapping angrily against her door.

"I'm…well, I'm Henry's father," he sputtered finally, smiling at the fact that he was able to get a sentence out.

Emma's eyes widened and she turned to look at the queen. Regina's jaw tightened and her eyes darkened before they slowly roamed over to Emma. "So, the happy family is back together," she cooed evilly. "I guess there's no need for me anymore, is there?"

With that Regina took off down the hallway. Emma was quick to follow her as they made their way to Regina's study.

"Regina, I can expl—

"No need to explain, Miss Swan. I wouldn't believe you at this point anyway." Regina shouted, her vision blurring with rage. "And you baited my son in front of me…" she turned and began rummaging through her drawers. "You were never going to let me see him. And what would be the point of it anyway? Henry's got his mother and his father. He has no desire for me anymore."

Finding what she was looking for, Regina turned to a cupboard in the room and began unlocking it. Emma took the opportunity to run over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That's not what I—

Regina turned and placed something to Emma's chest, pushing her back with it. Emma stumbled backwards a few steps and Regina collapsed over the desk, her arms shaking as they held her and she tried to steady her breath. If Emma wasn't so focused on the queen, she wouldn't have heard it. It was scattered by the breathing and muffled by clenched teeth, but there was no mistaking those words.

"I trusted you."

Emma's heart plummeted to her stomach and she gripped the object in her hands for support before Regina's head shot up and looked to the door. Neal had followed them both inside and stopped in mid-step as she looked at him.

"Get…out…" Regina said slowly.

Neal opened his mouth to say something but before he could Emma had turned and pushed him out the door. Regina didn't follow them and only when she heard the sound of her front door closing did she allow herself to sink to the floor again, scratching at her chest and wishing she had the courage to go deeper.

Emma shoved Neal out of the house and closed the door behind them, still looking at him with disbelief. He looked like he'd just had a near death experience and it was quite possible that he had. "Wow, she is one scare woman," he said with a relieved chuckle as he looked to Emma and then the object in her arms. "What did she give you?"

Emma had forgotten that she was holding onto something until she saw Neal nod towards her chest. She blinked a few times and looked down, revealing a leather bound book adorned in gold and purple script. Emma placed her hand on the cover and her hand surged with the new but undeniable feeling of magic.

"Well?" Neal asked, craning his head to try and read the foreign script. "Do you know what it is?"

Emma looked at Neal, then back at the house before she brushed past him and headed to her car, the book clutched tightly to her chest.

0-0-0-0-0

When Emma and Neal returned this time, Henry was awake and Rumpel had joined them. He was sitting on the couch with his cane between his legs when they entered, and he stood to greet Neal with a handshake, which he awkwardly returned. Rumpel smiled but it faded when his eyes fell upon the object in Emma's hands.

Slowly, he lifted his cane and pointed it at Emma's chest. "Is that what I think it is?"

Emma licked her lips and turned the book in her hands, showing everyone the cover. Henry's eyes widened and he let out a high pitched gasp. "Her book of spells! You stole it from her?"

"No, kid, she gave it to me," Emma returned watching as he shared the same look of confusion as the both of her parents.

"Why?" Henry asked, his face scrunching up as he asked.

Rumpel nodded along with Henry's question though he never took his eyes off the book. "I never would have bet she'd part willingly with it."

"Yeah, well, she did. Though thanks to Neal," she shot him a dirty look, "I have no idea why she did it."

Neal looked affronted and Emma dropped the book nonchalantly on the coffee table. "I told you I was going to go to Regina's by myself and what did you do?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he implored, outstretching his hands towards her.

"Why? What reason do _you_ have to fear her? You've been here for literally less than 24 hours."

"Emma, stop!" Henry shouted, grabbing the pockets of her jacket and shaking them. "He was just trying to protect you."

"Saying you're going to do something and then not doing it is a lie, Henry," Emma bit more sharply than she intended.

Henry paused for a moment and slowly looked back at his father who chose to scratch his neck rather than look his son in the eye. "Look," Emma said, exhaling, "the point is that even though Regina is deservedly furious at us now, she did still give us the book. I'd say that's more than enough reason to let her be for a while."

"Regina giving up her spell book is a step in the right direction, but let's not forget that she still has magic and the capabilities with which to use it without the book," Rumpel declared, flipping delicately through the pages. "She may have ulterior motives for giving it to you."

"Like what?" Emma asked.

Rumpel shrugged. "Who can say? Regina is a clever one."

"Yeah, and so are you," the blonde replied tersely, picking up the book from his grasp and bringing it back to her chest.

Gold merely smiled before making his way to the door and pulling it open. "Just be careful, Miss Swan," he said before he closed the door behind him. "I've a feeling things are about to get a lot more interesting in Storybrooke from here on out."

With that, he closed the door and Emma held the book tightly to her chest as they listened to Rumpel's cane trek slowly down the hallway and out of the building.


	3. Chapter 3: Saturdays

**A/N: So, third chapter in I feel like I should finally explain what I'm doing. This is going to be an ongoing story that will have eventual SwanQueen as well as multiple character studies. I do plan to have a lot of conflicts but also a lot of buildup, as you can tell by reading. So it will be slow going but I like to think it will be worth it. Feel free to stick around if that suits you and I hope you enjoy : )**

Saturdays

The woman known as Belle was lying on her side in the hospital bed she had come to call home. If only she had enough memory to remember the fact that this would be ironic. But as it was, she had no memory of who she was or who she had been with. Absently she danced her fingers along the railing of her bed, giving a soft smile when they did the splits.

Rumpel smiled too, even from out in the hall. He was out of her sight, hands resting on the cane in front of him as he watched the love of his life experience a brief moment of happiness. And just like that, the moment, and Belle's smile fell as she looked at the large clock on the wall and pulled her blankets tighter to her chest. Rumpel gripped the cane in his hands. He could see the sadness in her eyes, the loneliness, and longed to surge forward and break her from it.

But it was futile. She had no memory of him, and in fact feared him. Rumpel pushed the thought from his mind. This was a momentary insignificance, nothing more. Belle would get her memory back. Of that, he was certain. He just had to get his magic back. Yet another momentary insignificance. The dark one sighed as Belle closed her eyes attempting to drift into a sleep that would be anything but peaceful. He took a step forward, his hand outstretched, but stopped when a white lab coat flashed in his peripheral.

"You know you're not supposed to be here," the not so good doctor stated matter-of-factly, clasping his hands in front of him as he neared Rumpel.

"She can't even see me," he breathed, gesturing to the sleeping woman.

"She doesn't want you here," Whale countered.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Rumpel seethed, his cane lifting as a weapon. "Are you going to escort me off the premises?"

"If it comes to that."

Whale was unusually calm and for a brief moment Rumpel had the fear that he knew he was without magic. His eyes widened at the thought and Whale's eyebrow rose slightly in confusion. It was all Rumpel needed to regain his composure and he lowered his cane, giving a short bow. "We wouldn't want to ruin that nice white coat of yours, now would we?" he said before turning and making his way slowly out of the hospital.

Rumpel made his way out into the dark night and took a deep breath of chilled air, letting it fill his lungs and surround his heart. In a way, all of this was a welcome surprise. It had been so long since he was truly surprised and without an immediate fix for something. Perhaps there was a silver lining to be found in all of this darkness. Smirking to himself, he trudged down to his shop to begin his long night of research.

0-0-0-0-0

When morning filtered warm light into Emma's room, she was awake to greet it. This marked the third night of little to no sleep and at this point she was too tired to even be frustrated with it. So, she slowly rose from the bed and pulled yesterday's jeans on. It had been three days since she'd gotten the book from Regina. Three days since her outbreak and three days since Emma saw the torn look in the queen's eyes. Emma eyed the book that was sitting on her dresser and puffed her cheeks out in an exhale.

To be fair, she wasn't sure why she felt so guilty about what happened. It was Neal's appearance and Regina's rush to a conclusion that caused all of the problems. But it still happened. Emma felt her gut twisting as she touched the book again, the magic buzzing through her fingers like a small current. It felt good, but not good enough to crazy over. Then again, she was new to this magic business. In fact, she really wanted nothing to do with it. Emma dropped the book and grabbed her jacket before making her way down the stairs of Snow's apartment.

It was still dark downstairs and Emma caught sight of Snow and Charming still asleep. Snow was curled into as tight of a ball she could manage. Charming was at her back, both of his arms wrapped around her, his nose buried in her neck. Emma gave a soft smile at the sight before she saw movement in her peripheral. Henry was in the kitchen, looking up at her happily, half a piece of toast in between his fingers.

"Hey, kid," Emma whispered as she sat down on the bar and took an orange. "How'd you sleep?"

Henry shrugged and swallowed his bite. "I stayed up thinking for a while."

"Oh yeah? What about?"

"My mom," Henry answered almost guiltily, looking like he was going to be punished.

To his surprise, Emma just smiled and gave a soft nod. "Me too."

Henry's face scrunched up like it often did when he was confused. "You? What were you thinking about her for?"

"You first," Emma responded, pointing at his nose.

Henry sighed and took the time to eat another bite of toast before answering. "I was just thinking about how confusing she is. I mean, she's the Evil Queen, and she's done really bad things. But she gave you the book. So I guess…I guess I was wondering why she did it."

"Maybe she's turning around," Emma offered, watching as Henry shrugged again.

"She always tries to turn around, but then it turns out to be a lie."

"I wouldn't say it was a 'lie.' It's more like she just doesn't know how to be good. And when she fails she goes back to what she knows." Emma's brow furrowed as she struggled to peel the skin from the orange.

"What were you thinking about her for?" Henry asked quietly.

Emma didn't answer as she was too busy trying to get through the peel. Henry watched her patiently for a moment before he asked, a little louder, "Do you miss her too?"

Emma looked up quickly and pierced her thumb all the way through the orange. Henry laughed as she gave him the thumbs up with the orange still attached and put her finger to her lips, gesturing to her parents. Henry covered his mouth with his hands and Emma pulled her thumb out, sticking it in her mouth and wincing at the orange's bitter taste.

"Hey, want to go to Granny's for breakfast?"

Henry's eyes lit up for a moment before falling as he looked at the clock. "I can't. I'll be late for school."

Emma frowned at the clock as well and tapped her nails on the counter for a moment. "You're not going to school today."

Henry looked at her sideways in a manner that looked unsurprisingly like Regina's and Emma smiled as she nodded. "Yup, we're on a mission today. And it starts with breakfast at Granny's. You in?"

Her son nodded vigorously and she hopped off of the counter and made her way to the door, Henry scrambling eagerly behind her. When they stepped out of the building Emma immediately turned left and started walking. It took Henry—who had turned right— a few moments to notice that she wasn't walking alongside him and he turned and raced back to her, puffing when he reached her side.

"Hey, I thought we were going to Granny's?"

"We are. But we have to pick someone up first."

"Neal?"

The excitement in Henry's voice was barely contained and Emma sighed as she looked down at him and shook her head. Before his expression could fall too much, she said, "We're going to pick up your mother."

Henry stopped in his tracks and Emma turned to look at him. He looked at her suspiciously and she shrugged. "What?"

"You want Regina to come with us?" he asked skeptically.

"Why was she your mother in the apartment and now she's Regina?" Emma asked. "She's always your mother, Henry. And she loves you. You just said that you missed her."

"Yeah…but…" he turned and looked up at the apartment where the Charmings were currently still sleeping.

Emma placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him forward down the block. They walked in silence for a few blocks before Henry looked up at her. "What if she tries to take me from you?"

"I don't think she's going to do that," Emma countered.

"But what if—

"Henry," Emma chastised, "this world is full of 'what ifs.' And people who only think of the 'what ifs' instead of actually going out and finding out what will happen are the ones with the biggest regrets. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He shook his head slowly and licked her lips before crouching down to his level. "Your mother wants more than anything to be good. If we don't give her a chance to try, then what reason does she have to try? This is what good people do."

Henry pursed his lips for a moment before meeting her eyes and giving a nod along with a short smile. "I do have a lot that I want to tell her," he said before falling into step beside Emma.

0-0-0-0-0

Regina had just finished applying her makeup when she heard the knock at the door. The past few days had been a welcome reprieve from visitors and she was finally able to get up and make herself look presentable again. Her mother's death was still fresh, as was Emma's betrayal, but Regina had long since learned how to cope with such things. She had given up on guessing who could be behind it and decided it didn't matter in the end. So she ran a thumb along her lips to catch the stray lipstick and made her way downstairs, pulling the door open without flourish.

The first thing she saw were blonde curls and she closed her eyes for a moment to regain her composure. Magic swelled through her veins at her quick emotional change but she swallowed the urge to use it and opened her eyes again. "Miss Swan, what can you possibly require from me this time?" she asked, before her eyes fell on the little boy at her side. Her mouth fell open slightly at the sight of Henry and Emma watched as Regina straightened her composure, looking oddly self-conscious.

"Henry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Henry looked up at Emma proudly, and then smiled at his mom. "We wanted to know if you wanted to come to breakfast with us!" he chirped.

Regina's eyebrows rose and her eyes lifted to Emma, who nodded. "We were thinking about going to Granny's. Coffee's not as good as yours but I'll make do."

The queen ran a hand through her hair and blinked a few times before looking at her watch. "Don't you have school?" she asked, the motherly tone settling in as if it had never left.

Henry looked stricken, as if Regina had just killed Emma in front of him and Emma made a note to herself to talk to the kid about all of the grays in the world. Placing a hand on the doorframe, Emma leaned in a bit to Regina and raised her eyebrows. "I thought this was more important. Are you coming?"

Regina's eyes ran the length of Emma's face a few times before she straightened and looked down at Henry.

"Just let me grab my coat."

As they walked to Granny's Emma stayed a few steps behind the other two, listening as Henry told her about flying and New York City pizza. For the most part Regina remained silent, only offering questions or appropriate responses when necessary. Emma watched the way her shoulders fell from their normal stiff position and her arms swung gently at her sides and couldn't help but smile.

The cheery mood dwindled when they all stepped into Granny's diner. Henry was still chatting and Regina was still completely absorbed in him. Only Emma saw as every patron in the diner stopped and stared as the Evil Queen entered. Soon, the silence made Henry stop his story telling and they both looked around the room. Most of the residents looked ready to snap and Emma watched as Regina's posture straightened, the shine in her face replaced with a cool stoicism.

"Good morning," Emma said to everyone, breaking the silence as she pointed Henry to a booth. He ran over quickly and took a seat square in the middle of it.

No one watched as the boy ran off. They kept their eyes on Regina, gripping their silverware as if they were preparing for battle. Regina's eyebrows rose, a silent acceptance of their challenge and Emma placed a hand on her arm, looking to Granny, who was standing with her hands on her hips. Ruby stood next to her, the only one not looking quite as enraged, though she did look very perplexed.

"Granny," Emma confidently, lifting her head to the older woman. "Are we welcome to eat here?"

Granny seemed taken aback by the question, as did the rest of the patrons as they looked at one another before looking back at the diner's owner. She blinked a few times, her mouth opening and closing not unlike a fish before Ruby rolled her eyes and grabbed three menus. "Take a seat, Emma…Regina," she said, gesturing to Henry.

Emma breathed a sigh of relief and headed over to the booth, unaware of her hand still on Regina's arm as she led her through the tables. When they reached the booth Emma paused for a moment, looking at her son. He was completely unaware of the fact that he had taken up the entire side of the booth and he looked at her quizzically. Shaking her head, Emma slid into the booth, watching as Regina sat gracefully next to her, acting as if she wasn't there at all. The blonde tried to best to shove herself against the wall, but despite all of her efforts their thighs still touched and she silently prayed that it wouldn't be enough to set Regina off and ruin the entire mission.

Ruby set the menus down with a smile and took drink orders before turning and waving her hands at the rest of the diners to go back to their meals. "All right, folks, whoever can keep their eyes on their own meals like big boys and girls gets a free side of bacon."

They did so reluctantly, and Ruby walked triumphantly behind the counter. Emma was certain Ruby's willingness to help stemmed from a desire for attention but she was grateful for it all the same as she stared at the menu.

Emma was silent for most of the meal, but she didn't mind. This breakfast wasn't about her. Henry and Regina were completely absorbed in one another and she was content to watch the happiness that bounced back and forth between them. Emma wasn't sure she had ever seen Regina smile so much. It was still a bit strained, as if she was holding back, but it was more than the blonde had seen in a long time.

When Ruby set the check at the end of the table Regina picked it up and flicked it open.

"Oh no you don't," Emma said, grabbing it and giving it a tug, unsurprised when Regina's grip held firm. "You're our guest. You don't pay."

Regina attempted to pull the bill back, raising her eyebrows when Emma didn't let go. "Miss Swan, let go," she said, though her voice lacked its usual bite.

"You let go."

Regina pulled again, bringing herself closer to the blonde. They were so used to invading personal space at this point that neither seemed to notice the queer look everyone in the diner was giving them. Emma saw that Regina's eyes had darkened, her lip curling up in that trademark snarl, and she smiled as she felt herself rising to the challenge.

"You're about to do something you'll regret, Miss Swan," Regina bit, giving another tug and ripping the bill from Emma's hands.

The snap was the exact opposite of what Emma wanted and in that instant she could see that by her pushing, or simply just by making Regina aware of her presence, the Queen's walls had come back up.

"You're just…," Emma groaned, throwing her eyes to the ceiling. "It's always one step forward and forty steps back," she muttered under her breath.

Henry looked back and forth between the two women before pursing his lips together and scooting out of the booth. Regina stood as well and marched proudly through the onlookers and straight to Ruby. Her face was still hardened and fake, but Emma saw genuine gratitude in the nod she gave to the waitress, slipping a single bill to her.

Ruby's eyes widened and she made her way over to the cash register, only to be stopped by Regina, who merely shook her head and made her way towards the door. Emma tried to catch Ruby's attention on the way out but she seemed too absorbed in her tip so she shrugged and allowed Henry and Regina to exit first. Once they were out in the cool Maine morning they all shared a deep breath.

Regina buried her hands in her pockets and looked out towards the street. Henry looked up at Emma and shifted slowly towards the blonde's side. She smiled down at him and he looked up at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. Having enough of the awkward silence, Emma slapped her hands against her sides and took a deep breath.

"All right. What say we walk to the park now? You'll have the monkey bars all to yourself, kid."

Henry's features lit up and turned and started a brisk walk down the street. "I can practice my flips!"

Emma began to follow him for a few steps before she realized that Regina had not followed. She turned to find the queen standing after them, looking as if she'd just lost Henry again. Emma found herself smiling as she extended her hand towards Regina. "Come on, Regina," she pleaded quietly.

Regina's posture straightened, as if she'd just been caught and she eyed Emma intensely before she slowly moved forward. She ignored Emma's hand, but did continue down the path Henry was currently racing. Putting her hands in her pockets, Emma followed along, picking up the pace until she was beside Regina.

"Thanks for getting the bill," Emma offered after a few moments of silence.

Regina merely nodded, her eyes straight ahead on her son as he looked both ways before crossing the street and racing towards the monkey bars on the park. Emma followed as Regina made her way to bench just a few feet away from her son. The blonde paused for a moment as she watched Regina perch herself on the end of it and cross her feet and legs. Her posture screamed for Emma to get away and she took a deep breath as she sat on the end, turning her focus to Henry as he bounded up the bars and began dangling every which way.

Emma felt her stomach ache in nervousness as she watched him. She was still new to this maternal business and wasn't quite sure how to react to this newfound fear. Every time Henry looped himself over the bar, his head came within centimeters of the next bar. Not to mention he was a few feet above the ground. Chances to get hurt were everywhere and Emma had the brief backward notion of wanting to ban monkey bars and cover all the playground equipment in foam. A raised eyebrow in her peripheral caused a break in her thoughts and she turned her head to see Regina regarding her with an almost condescending confusion.

"I never really knew monkey bars could cause a heart attack," Emma half laughed, feeling her cheeks reddening.

Regina gave a soft nod, though her eyes were still unrelenting. "I never took you for an overly concerned mother."

"Speak for yourself, Miss Iron Fist."

"I'm strict, yes, but not overly concerned."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Fight the urge to protect him from every sharp corner?"

The question caught Regina off guard and looked down to examine her hand as she thought upon it. She remembered those feelings when she first got Henry. Everything was the enemy and everything could him and would if it got the chance. It caused her heart to ache, this connection with Emma and she tried to swallow it down.

"There's always that urge. But you find out very quickly that no matter how hard you try, little boys are always going to hurt themselves and they are always going to get dirty. It's one of the few constants I can rely on in this world."

When Emma's smile fell on her Regina turned away and looked to the sky for a moment, running her hand through her hair. The blonde's smile only widened as she cast a sideways glance at Henry. "He's a really good kid, Regina."

The queen turned to face her again and Emma nodded. "He really is. Thank you."

Regina could feel the sincerity of Emma's words and it caused her chest to tighten at the small joy that threatened to run through her. She placed on shaking hand over the other and tried to reign in her racing thoughts. Experience taught her that compliments came with motives and that any happiness was stripped away as quickly as it came. She wanted to say that Emma was welcome, but knew that instead she had to say, "Yes, well, I want the best for my son."

The blonde's sigh had the intended effect as the brief happiness dissipated and her tightened heart released. She was used to this, understood this, but it never ceased to hurt. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Emma scoot closer and instinctively she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Come on, Regina. We're having a good time," Emma pleaded. She could see the queen was conflicted. It was all over her tense posture and the way she refused to look her way. Regina was a ticking clock and Emma had a feeling her time was almost up. She'd lost her patience too early at the diner, but the woman had a way of getting under her skin. Licking her lips, she tried a different tactic.

"I was thinking we could make this a weekly thing. I mean, not skipping school but spending time with Henry."

Realization struck the queen's face and her arms lowered as she looked over at Emma. The savior felt her stomach turn like it always did when Regina looked at her with walls down and tried to push it to the back of her mind. Regina eyes flickered downward for a moment and self-consciousness seeped into her clasped hands.

"Supervised?"

"At first," she said, watching Regina's knuckles go white as she gripped her hands, "just to keep the locals happy and off our backs."

There was a long pause as Regina considered the idea. She didn't like the idea of being under scrutiny while with her son but there wasn't much of a choice. If she had any chance of getting Henry back, she'd have to suffer one day a week and ignore the fact that Emma and Henry's newfound father would get the rest and best of him.

"Are you sure Neal won't mind?" she asked coldly, immediately regretting it but refusing to show it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Emma straighten, but when she spoke, her tone was surprisingly even.

"Every parent will get their due time with him."

It was the best response she could have given on the matter. Regina knew that. Exhaling a slow breath, the queen looked up and into those green eyes. "I would very much like that, Emma. Saturdays?"

Emma opened her mouth to respond when they both heard the thud of a body hitting the ground. Henry had somehow fallen and was now lying on his back under the equipment. It was almost instinct as Emma shot up, prepared to race over, but a hand on her shoulder paused her movements and she looked over at the queen again. Her eyes were focused on Henry, but she appeared unfazed by the fact her son was sprawled on the ground.

"Miss Swan, racing over there with _that_," she made a disdained expression and pointed to Emma's face as she stood, "psychotic panic will do nothing but scare him."

With that she strode over and, with the calm and motherly appearance she always maintained around her son, Regina looked down at him. "You alright?" she asked, and Emma watched as the boy shook his head, pointing to his chest.

"Should I call someone?" she asked, panicked, before Regina rolled her eyes at her.

"All the air knocked out of you?" she asked him and he nodded.

Regina then knelt down and picked Henry up by the arms, placing him on his feet and then lifting his arms over his head. He looked at her with the same feared expression Emma possessed and Regina had to look away from the resemblance. "It's okay, Henry. It'll come back. Just try to breathe," she coaxed gently.

A few seconds later, Henry gasped as air finally filled his lungs. His eyes watered as he panted for a moment and Regina reached out to touch his check while Emma placed a relieved hand on his shoulder. He looked back and forth between his moms and gave a soft smile. He wasn't quite sure why he liked this picture, but he wasn't about to question it as Emma turned to Regina and gave a confident nod.

"Saturdays it is."


	4. Chapter 4: Desperation

Desperation

It was almost ten when Regina stepped out of her house and pulled her coat closer to her. This would be the third Saturday of seeing Henry for the day and though her usual stoicism was in place, Regina couldn't control the fleeting ups and downs of her stomach. It was a short walk to the docks where they were supposed to meet and she found that the walk relaxed her mind a bit. Whenever Henry was involved her nerves always seemed to go into overdrive. She wasn't sure she could take another look of disappointment from him and her heart skipped a beat in agreement.

But what was worse was that Henry was completely validated giving those looks. In her weakness she found the wrong kind of strength, and she was paying the price for it. There was always a price to be paid for Regina Mills. She'd killed a lot of people and ruined even more lives. Trying to think about a suitable punishment or length of torture was pointless. The best she could do was to endure it and move on until she died, however short or long a time that may be. She was so lost in her thoughts as she rounded a corner, that she failed to notice the jogging man, who ran straight into her.

Regina, always tense, braced herself and managed to keep her balance. The jogger was less fortunate and he fell back onto the ground. Regina studied his face for a moment but couldn't place him. Emma's line swam through her head that this must have been 'one of the untold millions' she'd cursed. Where the queen would usually feel a sense of pride at what her curse had done, she now had the memory of Emma's disappointed glance, and a faint pulse of guilt coursed through her. She wouldn't say sorry; she couldn't say sorry. Besides, the man was just as equally at fault.

Instead, Regina settled for apathetically extending her hand towards him, all the while looking impatient and rather angry. Normally, this would instill fear in the townspeople and they would either take what was offered with more than suitable gratitude or they would run in the opposite direction. This was what Regina expected, what she knew. She did not expect for the man's brow to furrow in disgust before spitting towards her hand. He missed, but Regina withdrew quickly, glaring as he rose to his feet.

"What are you, some sort of animal?" she growled.

He smirked angrily at that, wiping his sweating brow. "You've got some nerve, highness. The only animal in this town is you."

"I beg your pardon?"

The man neared her again, and Regina felt the slightest spike of fear course down her spine. Her hands tingled, preparing themselves for magic, and she clenched them to force the thought from her mind. Magic always had to be controlled, and she would not come so far with Henry just to lose it all over this peasant.

"Don't think this town has forgotten all that you've done to them. You may have the protection of the savior for now, but you know better than anyone how much patience is required in revenge."

"Is that a threat?" she snapped, tossing her hair out of her eyes with ease.

The man smiled again. "Do you feel threatened?"

He turned and gestured to the town but Regina didn't dare take her eyes off of him. "Are you really so arrogant that you can't see the way this town wants your head?" He neared her again and while Regina knew he couldn't see anything past her dark eyes, it did little to comfort her. "And we will get it. Don't get—

"Everything okay over here?" Emma's voice cut through the tension and Regina released the breath she'd been holding as she looked over.

She was standing with one hip jutted out, her arms crossed and that stupid wool hat was on her head. She looked anything but intimidating, and yet the jogger backed off, easing into a calm smile.

"Of course, sheriff, just a literal run-in with the queen. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to keep my heart rate up," the man said, before gently brushing past Regina and picking up the pace again as he headed down the street.

Regina watched him go for a moment, feeling as Emma closed the distance between them. "Who was that?" she asked when Emma stopped a few feet closer to her.

The blonde turned and squinted after him. "I think that's Larry. He pushed a cart or something in FTL. He works at the grocery store."

"FTL?"

"Fairytale Land."

Regina raised an eyebrow at her and Emma shrugged. "We've been saying it a lot. I thought I'd try to shorten it."

When Regina didn't respond and continued looking down the street, Emma took a few steps closer. She hadn't seen what had happened. It was mere coincidence that she'd looked over and seen Regina behind Larry's tall stature. But even from her distance, Emma could tell that something was amiss. Regina didn't normally associate with the population of Storybrooke. And if she did, it usually wasn't a good thing. Licking her lips nervously, Emma reached out and touched Regina's arm, pulling her back to reality.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

It seemed to pull Regina from her thoughts and she turned, quickly tugging her arm from Emma's grasp and crossing her arms.

"I'm fine," she bit, looking at Emma like she did any other peasant. "Where's Henry?"

Emma rolled her eyes and jutted her thumb behind her, towards the dock, where a little boy sat on a bench, fishing pole hanging from his hand, trying to listen to every word. Without another word, Regina pushed past Emma and made her way over to her son. Emma heaved a frustrated sigh and followed dutifully. Regina's attitude hadn't been that harsh since she'd gotten the book of spells from her. Whatever Larry had said definitely set her off but Emma could only hope that she and Henry would be able to coerce Regina back into the peaceful, lazy happiness they usually shared on their Saturdays together.

Henry's wide eyed nervousness faded as he watched his two mothers walking towards him and he hopped off of the bench, showing his mother his fishing pole. It was an adult sized pole and Henry struggled to coordinate his balance as he trotted up to her with it. "Mom! Look what Grandpa let me borrow!" he shouted as he hoisted the pole high in the air, the tackle box in his other hand being swung around with gusto.

Regina's smile came back easily as she kneeled to be eyelevel with her son. "Planning on catching us dinner?" she asked him softly as Emma made her way up to stand beside her.

Henry merely beamed, a little too self-conscious in his fishing skills to actually make a promise, and walked over to the docks. Emma and Regina followed side by side and Emma quickly sensed that Regina's previous anger had taken the back seat to her son. She didn't know Larry all that well but he'd always been pleasant to her at the grocery store. Perhaps Regina's short temper had merely triggered a reaction. She definitely couldn't blame him for that. Deciding to drop it for now, Emma reached the end of the dock and crouched down near Henry, who was opening his tackle box.

Regina leaned against the guardrail as Henry pulled out a Tupperware box and popped the lid off, revealing several little worms trying to bury through the dirt Henry had graciously given them.

"Ew," Emma commented, shooting up so quickly it made her dizzy.

Henry laughed and rolled his eyes in a way that reminded her almost too much of Regina and she felt her cheeks flushing. Out of the corner of her eye she could have sworn she saw said queen smirking, but didn't dare look over. The boy paid her no mind as he pulled a worm out and threaded it back and forth on the hook.

"Grandpa says you have to do it like this or the worm could get pulled off easily," he seemed to say to no one in particular and yet both women nodded anyway. When he seemed satisfied with his fishing pole Henry stood and made his way to the edge of the dock. He lifted the rod high in the air and Regina and Emma shared a look before taking a few large steps back. Clumsily, Henry waved the rod back and forth and after a few near misses the line finally landed in the water. Satisfied, Henry sat down, letting his legs hang over the water.

At first, Emma thought that Regina would be quick to join him, but the Queen merely seemed to relax against the railing again, looking fondly to the boy in front of them. He really was a good kid. A bit too literal for his own good, but a good kid. Her genes had played a part in that, but mostly it was Regina's doing. Looking over at the woman in question, Emma watched how relaxed Regina looked. It seemed as if these Saturdays were the only solace the queen could find anymore, and that thought pained her. Regina noticed her staring and looked over with raised eyebrows. But they weren't condescending, or cruel, they were merely curious and Emma gave a crooked smile as she gestured to Henry.

"There was this restaurant- bar, that I used to hang out at in Boston," she began slowly, watching the queen regard her out of the corner of her eye. "It was a divey little mom and pop sports bar, but for the most part it was quiet…it let me think. Anyway, there was this picture they had hanging next to the bathrooms. It was black and white and it was a little boy sitting on a dock with a homemade fishing pole. And sitting next to him was his father. They were wearing the exact same clothes and the father was leaning back on his hands, relaxed, while the boy just smiled at him."

Emma shook her head, smiling at the thought. "Sometimes, I would imagine being the little kid, and I would imagine both of my parents sitting next to me, and we'd catch a big fish and take it home and have a big dinner. Other times, I would think of my own kid," her eyes flashed to Regina and saw that she was listening intently. If she had any thoughts on Emma thinking of Henry before coming to Storybrooke, she kept them hidden.

"I would think of him and imagine being the parent sitting on the dock. This is that exact moment," she paused to laugh, feeling her cheeks flush again, "and…I can't bring myself to go over there and ruin the moment." Emma looked to Regina again, meeting her eyes. "It's perfect as it is."

Regina felt her heart pull as she listened to Emma's story. It had caught her off guard, the personal tone she had taken. And yet, as she spoke, Regina felt more and more at ease with the conversation. It was something she could relate to as well. Idle fantasies were a part of everyone's lives, and she knew better than anyone how they tended to turn out. In spite of herself, Regina gave Emma a soft smile and a nod.

"Life rarely turns out like we imagined."

"Tell me about it."

A comfortable silence settled between them for a few minutes before Regina began to tap her nails on the metal guard rail, catching Emma's attention again. "So…Neal…" the queen spoke slowly, gauging Emma's reaction. She never felt less threatened than on these Saturdays, but everything in Storybrooke seemed to work on a ticking time bomb and caution was very necessary when it came to spending time with her son. Much to Regina's surprise, however, Emma rolled her eyes, as if agreeing with Regina's unspoken concerns.

"Yeah…Neal."

"How did you find him?"

Emma took a deep breath and looked to Regina with pleading eyes. For a moment Regina wondered if Emma took these meetings just as cautiously and the thought comforted her slightly as the blonde spoke. "It's…kind of a long and difficult story."

"I have time."

"I just…do you promise you won't get mad?" Emma asked, running her tongue across her lips.

"No," Regina answered quickly, smiling at the concern that rushed across Emma's face. "But I promise I'll remain calm.

Emma gave a short smile in relief and scratched her cheek for a moment, looking down at her feet to attempt the right words. "Well, when we left with Rumpel to go find his son…it turns out that…that Neal is his son."

Regina clenched her fists together. She could feel them tingling with magic again and fought to push it back down. She promised to remain calm. "The Dark One is Henry's grandfather?"

"Yeah."

"Did you know that Neal was…well—

"A centuries old time lord? No."

"Time lord?" Regina asked ,furrowing her brow in confusion until Emma shook her head.

"Never mind, but no, I didn't know."

Regina gave a short nod and ran her hand through her hair. This was all far too bizarre to be mere coincidence. That was usually where Rumpelstiltskin came into play. "Did Rumpel know about this?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Much to her relief, Emma shook her head. "He was just as stunned as we all were."

"You're certain?"

Emma nodded again and Regina gave a slow exhale in relief. But it was short lived. There was no limit to what Rumpel could do, and she would have to be significantly more watchful from now on. This was a fact she decided to keep from herself. Worrying Emma would "Well, I guess it's nice to know he can still be surprised from time to time. And you and Neal?"

"What about me and Neal?"

Regina merely raised her eyebrows, looking towards her son. Emma gave a short laugh and shook her head. "Are we going to get back together, you mean? No, I don't think so. It's been too long. There's too much…other stuff."

"How eloquent," Regina taunted.

"Why? Jealous that he'd be taking up all of my time?" Emma returned pleased when she watched the queen's expression darken.

"Don't flatter yourself, dear. Henry's my only concern."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, Henry's over there. Any reason why you're over here talking to little old me?"

"Preservation of life."

"What?"

"Henry with a fishing rod in his hands is a threat not to be taken lightly."

Emma laughed then, so loud that their son turned around to see what the fuss was about and Regina bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling too widely. When Emma had calmed down she sighed and adjusted her hat. Regina watched her do so before she turned back to Henry, who was casting another line.

"Henry's birthday is coming up two weeks from now," she said through partially gritted teeth, seeing Emma nod in her peripheral. "I assume you have plans on the actual day with the two id—your parents…and Neal. I'd like to have him over for dinner next Saturday."

Emma looked on, surprised at the sudden olive branch she was getting. She'd been wondering how to broach the subject of Henry's birthday, and it was true that they were planning a party. She half expected Regina to fight her for the date, and the memory of Granny's diner flashed through her mind at the thought. In retrospect, Emma knew that she had been a little too harsh on Regina when she asked to spend time with her son. Now was her chance to make it up.

"I think that's a great idea," Emma said slowly. "I'm sure Henry will love it."

"Really? Why?" Regina asked, crossing her arms around her chest once more.

"Because he'll get two birthdays. What kid doesn't want that?" Emma said with a short laugh. "What time do you want me to drop him off?"

Regina shrugged and looked out towards the ocean. A tiny, almost instinctive part of her had wanted to tell Emma that she was invited too. And that frightened her. Ever since she had shown up on the doorstep with Henry in tow, Emma had been the enemy, her arch nemesis. Emma was the savior, the curse-breaker, and her son's biological mother. Everything Regina loathed and feared compiled into one person. And yet, this was the one person she felt safe around. Emma was a natural protector and leader and Regina was not immune to it. She thought of Larry the jogger again and how he had spared her no detail of the town's hatred for her. Perhaps she _had_ been blind to their rage. She had been blind to so many things for over 30 years.

She felt Emma's hand on her shoulder again, a silent repeat of her question, and Regina felt the habitual urge to shake it off. Instead though, today, she let if linger and smiled as Henry pulled the tiniest of fishes out of the water.

"Six will be just fine."

0-0-0-0-0

The Dark One was leaning over one of the many glass cases in his shop. In one hand he twirled his cane, letting it spin freely around before catching it with his thumb. In the other was the page of a book waiting to be turned. He'd been pouring over all of his literature in the past few weeks looking for something- anything to bring his magic back. So far it had been futile. All of his spells and curses and wards were written under the assumption that the reader already had magic. It was an oversight on his part that was starting to wear very thin on his patience.

Belle had been released from the hospital a few days ago. He had watched her as she left, hidden from sight. He watched as she hugged the plastic bag of her belongings to her chest and seemed to stare at the town as if she had never seen it before. He watched and could do nothing as the bag split, spilling her toiletries to the road. She had picked them quickly, seemingly unfazed by the inconvenience, and made her way down the street to the apartment the curse has told her she once lived in.

He gripped his cane tightly at the memory, his other hand dragging sharp and uneven nails down the glass. There wasn't even the satisfaction of a scratch when he'd finished and he leaned to the side, taking pressure off of his bad leg. With his magic gone he could feel every screaming nerve in his leg these days. He'd been spoiled by the magic for so long that he had almost forgotten what pain felt like. Now, as he continued to receive stabbing bolts of agony through his foot and up to his knee, Rumpel was grateful for it. This pain he could understand, he could endure. It helped him to forget the true pain. The throes that came having a loved one torn from him several times over. He had lost Milah, and he knew he was losing Bae, but he refused to let Belle become another notch in his twisted belt.

But even the anger triggered a memory. Magic was controlled by emotions, and in the past anger would send a rush of magic pulsing through his entire being. It was euphoric, and also calming, reminding him of how he held all of the cards. Now, there was nothing. Nothing but the embittered memories of an old man.

His door chime sounded and Rumpel lifted his head, the memories falling momentarily to the wayside as Neal walked in. His son had a way of ducking his head when he walked and he watched as his eyes scanned the memorabilia with an air of distrust before they finally settled on Rumpel.

"Hey," he said gruffly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Bae," Rumpel breathed, allowing himself to smile. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Neal gave a half-smile and pulled an envelope from his jacket, extending it limply towards his father. "Henry wanted me to give this to you."

Rumpel took the letter and held it in his hands for a moment. Written in ten year old handwriting was the singular word, 'Grandfather.' He frowned at it and Neal cleared his throat, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's an invitation to his birthday party."

"'Grandfather' seems a bit austere, don't you think?"

"Well, you don't really look like a 'gramps,'" Neal offered, intent on ignoring the pleased expression on his father's face. "He, uh, also wanted me to ask you if you wouldn't mind throwing the party here."

"Here? Surely there are more interesting places for a ten year old's birthday? Places with far less…breakable items."

Neal shrugged and eyed the items in the shop again. "It's where he wants it. Is that okay or no?"

Though Neal's clues weren't exactly subtle, Rumpel had hoped the light chatter would calm him down some to get him to stay and chat. When it was clear that wasn't going to happen, Rumpel merely scoffed and shook his head, turning back to the book in front of him. "It's fine. Thanks for the invite."

He expected to hear the sound of the door chime signaling Neal's departure, and yet none came. Looking up, he saw his son looking at the book in his hands. His expression was conflicted, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for something to say, and Rumpel remained silent as he waited. Finally, Neal heaved a sigh and waved his hand across the room. "Look, I'm sorry about, what's her name? Belle. I'm sorry that she lost her memory of you."

"Thank you. But it's being taken care of," Rumpel said confidently out of habit.

Neal chanced a closer look at the tome and then scoffed, shooting his father an incredulous look. "Magic. Of course."

"Bae, it's who I am."

"Yeah, and look at what you've become," Neal growled before bringing a hand to his mouth, as if ashamed of his own outburst. They were quiet for a moment before Neal dropped his hands, shaking his hands again. "Look, I don't what to get into this with you, okay?"

"Well, I do," Rumpel answered, as he rounded the counter, putting extra support into the cane. "What happened a few weeks ago, when you took my hand and cried for me?"

"I didn't…I thought you were going to die."

"So, you were just placating me in my final hours?" Rumpel was shaking now, his voice rising to that shrill screech, his eyes threatening to burst from his skull.

"No," Neal argued back, gritting his teeth. "I just…I need some time, dammit! I realize that's hard for someone like you to understand but, there it is. I didn't want you die and I still don't want you to die. But just because you lived and got a clean slate doesn't mean that all my problems went away."

Rumpel remained silent for a moment and Neal sighed, heading towards the door. "I didn't come here for this. Henry's birthday is coming up and he's what's most important to me. Emma will contact you later for details."

The bell chimed and Rumpel didn't look up to watch his son go. Instead, he went back over to the counter and picked up the book. He stared at it for a moment before picking it up and throwing it across the room. It shattered a few pieces but it nothing to ease his pain. He had to get his magic back. He had to fix this. Things were becoming entirely too mortal for him.

Taking a deep breath, Rumpel dared a chance look out the window. He saw Neal walking down the block and walked to the window to watch him further. Out of the corner of his eye, he also saw Henry and Emma walking down the street. The boy was carrying a fishing pole while Emma had a small cooler in her hands. He watched as Henry recognized his father and, without thinking, charge forward across the street towards him.

The boy was so focused on his father that he failed to see the car coming towards him. He heard the sound of Emma and Neal screaming and winced as the inevitable crash was to come. And yet no sound was heard. Looking back, Rumpel saw that the car was nowhere to be found. Something wasn't right about it all. As the family embraced in the middle of the street, Rumpel stepped out of his shop, hobbling towards them.

Emma was hugging Henry to her as he neared, and she looked up at him. Rumpel put on his best concerned face and slowed once he neared them. "I saw you out of my window, what happened?" he asked, rushed.

"Mom stopped the car!" Henry shouted, pointing to the vehicle.

Rumpel looked over and saw the car about forty feet down the street, the tire tracks a straight line back, indicating the car had been shoved by a powerful force. He looked to Emma, who shrugged and mimicked Neal's open mouthed gesture.

"Miss Swan? Did you do this?"

"I…uh, I don't know. I just panicked and…" she drifted, looking down at her hands.

On instinct, Rumpel reached out and touched one of her palms. It coursed through him like lightning, the magic, and left as quickly as it had come. It was more powerful, more raw than anything he had ever experienced. Though still in its infancy, Emma's magic was already more powerful than what his had been at its peak. He had to have it.

"Well, I'm glad everyone's okay. We'll talk later, Miss Swan," he said, before turning on his heels and heading back into the shop, his sinister grin growing wider with every step.


	5. Chapter 5: Making Ground

Making Ground

It was a pulse. The ground shook beneath her and the tremors soared through her bones. There was a blinding light, the sound of screaming or screeching, and then all was silent. Emma's hands were…she didn't know. It was a foreign feeling, almost as if they were sore, or tired, but at the same time energized. A tiny part of her almost wanted to do it again. But what exactly was it that she did?

Emma looked down at her hands for what seemed like the hundredth time, ignoring her father's pained sigh. Snow was watching from her perch on the bed, her expression unreadable as she too looked at her daughter's hands. Neal seemed content to glare at the floor, his hand rubbing the stubble on his chin. Growing frustrated with the silence, Emma brought her hands down to slap against her thighs, jolting her father from his thoughts.

"So, anyone have any words of wisdom?" she asked, her eyes scanning the room.

"It's magic. What more do you need to know?" Neal spat, his glare darting to Emma momentarily before falling back to the floor.

Emma shot him a dirty look but he failed to see it. Ever since Henry's near death experience and her sudden outburst of magic he had been growing increasingly cold towards her. It had been just a couple of hours since the incident. After making sure the person in the car was unharmed and Henry was appropriately admonished for his act of carelessness they had returned home. At first, Emma didn't mind his silent disapproval. She was too caught up in her own problems to deal with anyone else's. But now that Henry was up in his room and her parents were caught up, she had to admit that she was growing tired of his pouting.

"I want to know everything, Neal. Wouldn't you?"

"I'd just want it out of me," he answered quickly and with no shortage of disgust in his tone.

"Well unless you know how to do that I suggest you come up with something more helpful. If you insist on keeping up the pouting, the ten year old is upstairs," she snapped, jutting her thumb towards the spiral staircase,

"Emma," Charming chastised, flashing Neal an apologetic smile.

"What? He's mad at me for something I have no control over." She looked over to Neal and shrugged. "This is Emma time," she said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Didn't you cast protective magic at Rumpel's shop? Why is this any different?" Charming asked.

"This…it wasn't controlled. It was almost as if it acted on its own. And yeah, I saved Henry, but what if next time a car explodes or goes flying through the air or something."

"You'd never let that happen, Emma."

"Not if I can help it," she looked down again, "but this is something I can't help."

"I don't know what to tell you," Charming said, casting a backward glance to his wife. "Neither of us have magic."

"But what about the whole true love thing? Am I not the product of it?"

"Well... yeah, but...you're the only product of true love I know of. You didn't come with a manual. We didn't even know you had magic until..." he drifted, sighing as he remembered Emma and Snow's battle with Cora. But if Snow heard, she made no showing of it. Instead, she remained focused on Emma's hands. The blonde noticed this and stood, shoving her hands into her pockets.

Snow 's head rose slightly, and tilted to the side as she regarded her daughter. "How did it make you feel?"

"Huh?"

"Using magic. How did it feel?"

Emma's eyes narrowed as she tried to decipher what Snow was getting at. She still looked sick and tired and depressed, which only furthered Emma's frustration. "I don't know…tingly. Why?"

Snow pursed her lips and gave a weak shrug, looking down to mess with the patches of her quilt. Emma and Charming shared a look before deciding to drop it. Charming then flashed is daughter his signature dopey smile and took her hand. "I think you're overreacting. So, you've got magic now. It doesn't automatically make you a bad person. It's all in how you use it. We'll just be a little more careful."

She knew he meant well, and she knew that he was trying. But Charming's comments only seemed to frustrate her further. So far, everyone's comments were unhelpful, condescending almost. Neal's comments showed where Henry got his black/white view of the world, while Charming's supportive remarks practically dismissed Emma's concerns about her magic acting on its own accord. Her newly found father treated it as if it was overly simple.

It made her feel like she was a petulant teenager all over again. She wanted to jerk her hand away and run out slamming the door, maybe scream to a higher power 'why me?' Instead, she gave him a half smile and gently withdrew her hand before heading over to grab her jacket.

"Where are you going?" Charming asked, standing to follow.

"I just need some space," she offered kindly before shooting a glare to Neal, "_alone_."

He raised his hand in acknowledgment and she nodded at them all before heading out the door and closing it behind her. When she stepped outside into the crisp air she breathed a sigh of relief. Though they meant well, none of them understood. And how could they? She was the only one with magic. She was the only one who knew—

Emma stopped mid-step and mid-thought. Just like before, her legs had propelled themselves towards _her_ house. She was still a few blocks away, but the realization hit Emma much sooner than before. She was going to Regina's house. The thought seemed to ease her mind and her steps became more fluid. A few weeks ago she would have cringed at the thought of going to Regina's house. Now, it was a source of comfort, of relaxation. Regina spared no one her thoughts and opinions, and the savior could really use that right now. As she neared the tall and once neatly-trimmed wall of topiary her confidence began to dwindle. She wasn't good at asking for help to begin with, and asking it from Regina was much, much worse. The idea of Regina laughing in her face crossed through her mind and she was quick to shake it away as she slowly neared the steps. Taking a deep breath, she reached up and gave three knocks on the door.

Regina answered after a few minutes, her eyebrows rising at the sight of Emma. She seemed to be in a fairly decent mood, Emma noticed. Perhaps she was still reeling from her Saturday with Henry. At least that would hopefully play to her advantage. She watched as Regina's eyes scanned almost unnoticeably for Henry before they fell upon hers.

"May I help you?" she asked, her tone slightly incredulous but not unpleasant. After a quick look over of Emma, Regina smiled a bit. "Don't you look like someone who's running away?" she commented lowly, the rich huskiness of her voice making Emma's knees weaken.

Emma looked down at her hands for a moment and licked her lips, choosing to pop her knuckles as she lifted her head again. "I did magic."

"You managed to cook something without burning and or killing it first?" Regina asked, the slight rise in her voice causing Emma to smile, if only just.

"_That's_ impossible. I did real magic," she answered, slightly extending her hands towards the queen.

Regina gave a snort, but it was hardly the cruel cackle that had plagued Emma's fears. Relaxing against the doorframe, the queen regarded Emma slowly. A part of her wanted to make a snide comment in hopes that Emma would snivel around on her porch. But the other part noticed that the woman before her was frightened. It was not a trait she would usually give the savior, but there it was, clearly exposing itself to her from those bright green eyes.

"Was it not you who cast the protection spell over Rumpel's shop?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I would think you would have noticed your magical abilities then."

Emma's brow knit in confusion. "I…how did you know that?"

"Rumple's wound kept him from using magic and you're the product of the most powerful magic known to man. You seemed the only suitable option, unless there's yet another thing I don't know about Neal."

Emma shook her head but said nothing else. Growing impatient, Regina lifted herself from the doorframe and straightened her skirt. It was then that the blonde noticed the dark rings under Regina's eyes, expertly covered by makeup, but not invisible. She didn't look as bad as she did on the night of Cora's death, but this wasn't much better.

"So?" Regina prompted, breaking Emma from her thoughts again.

The blonde licked her lips again. "Couldn't I come inside?" she fished, hoping to buy herself more time to calm down. In her haste to reach the queen, she had forgotten about how unraveled she became in her presence. Her self-confidence faded with the opening of that door and now she felt like a complete idiot for barging in on Regina.

"No," Regina answered shortly. Hurt quickly flooded Emma's unmasked eyes and Regina cleared her throat, quick to amend. "Not until you tell me why you're here."

"I already told you why I'm here."

"And I told you that wasn't sufficient."

"Why do you always have to make everything so difficult?" Emma groaned, and Regina was pleased to hear the teasing tone in her voice.

"Me? You're the one who showed up on my door wanting inside." Regina's eyes darkened and her lips curled over a playful, yet tenebrous smile. "Make it worth my while."

Ignoring the way her heart skipped a beat at Regina's invitation, Emma rose to the challenge, swallowed her pride, and let it all out. "I used magic without trying and it was pretty big and now I'm a little frightened of my own hands."

Regina made no immediate response and Emma looked down at her hands again, feeling the blush creep in her cheeks. Intrigued, Regina opened the door wider, ignoring the grateful smile from the savior as she entered. Emma trotted in quickly and removed her shoes as Regina closed the door behind them. Once she was only in her socks Regina beckoned her to the living area and she sat down on the sofa while the brunette took the chair opposite.

"What do you mean it was 'pretty big?'" Regina asked, clearly unimpressed at Emma's lack of eloquence. She crossed her legs, making her skirt rise a little higher.

Emma cleared her throat and glanced towards the kitchen in an attempt to look anywhere but where Regina and her legs were sitting. "Couldn't I have some of that coffee first?"

"Answer my questions, and maybe you'll get one cup."

"That's blackmail."

Regina's eyebrow lifted slightly but she said nothing more, instead waiting for Emma to continue. Finally, after a deep breath, Emma spoke.

"So, we were heading home from the docks earlier today, and Henry was ridiculously hyper, and he saw Neal coming out of Rumpel's shop. He got really excited and darted across the street to see him. There was a car coming and I stopped it and Henry's fine," she said quickly, to avoid scaring Regina. "But I stopped it with…with magic."

"Yes, I've gathered that several times over," Regina responded tiredly. "How did you stop it?"

Emma blinked a few times, raising her hands as if it would jog her memory. "I don't really know. I just remember being really scared and I," she reached her hands out as if she was reaching for Henry again, "and the next thing I know the car that was about to hit my kid was forty feet away down the road."

"Forty feet?"

"At least."

Regina's brow furrowed again as she studied Emma's face. She had always figured Emma's magic to be strong, given that it was forged by true love. But to be able to cast something as large as a car back that far without any training was unheard of. Slowly, Regina stood and headed over to Emma's side of the couch. Once there, she extended her hand towards Emma's.

"May I?" she asked evenly.

Confused, Emma lifted her hand and Regina grabbed it by the fingers, as if she were about to kiss it. She felt it immediately, the rush of powerful magic flooding through her and back to Emma. It struck her so violently that her hand flexed, gripping Emma's fingers tightly. Her head rolled back to absorb the shock and Emma stood quickly. Concerned she would fall back, the savior placed her free hand on Regina's back, holding her close as she recovered from her experience.

"Regina? Are you okay?" she half whispered, surprised by her own concern and their sudden closeness.

Regina opened her eyes slowly and Emma found that the look she was giving was all too familiar. It was the same almost feral look of excitement that she'd given Emma after the blonde had ruined her apple tree. It was anger and desire and power. Emma licked her lips, opting to wait for the queen to speak. It took a few moments, but soon Regina seemed to realize their precarious position, straightening and taking a few steps back. Emma noticed that the feral look was gone and she couldn't find it hidden in those dark eyes. Perhaps it had merely been a reactive response.

"You ought to be careful who you show that little trick to," Regina said somberly, breaking Emma from her thoughts.

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with it," Regina said with a wry smile. "It's the most powerful magic I've ever felt."

Emma's mouth opened to respond, until she realized she didn't have anything to say. Regina looked on, trying to compose herself after what she'd just felt. Both were so distrait that they failed to notice how Emma's hand had folded around Regina's, or the way the queen's thumb was absently stroking her knuckles. The pause was short lived as Emma took a deep breath and sat back down on the couch. The action caused their hands to release but neither paid any mind to it.

"So, what does this mean?" Emma asked finally.

Regina gave a small shrug and went back to the chair. "It means that you have powerful magic."

"Well yeah, but, I mean…what do I do now?"

"You don't have to do anything."

Emma sighed again. She had hoped that Regina would provide her a reprieve from all of the recent consternation of her life. She didn't like unknowns, and this was a big one. "Regina, I'm asking for your help, here."

"Why haven't you asked Rumpel?" the brunette asked quickly, unable to stop the venom in her voice from seeping out. Unattractive as it was, she was jealous. The Dark One was pivotal in all of the wrong decisions she had ever made. He was pure darkness and overpowering magic and now he was family. Could it really be that simple? And if it was, what was she doing wrong?

Emma gave a short nod of concession, as if she'd read Regina's thoughts. "I guess I don't really trust him yet."

"Perhaps there is some hope for you after all, Miss Swan."

"So, are you going to help me or not?"

Regina paused for a moment, her fingers playing against the arm of the chair. Emma found herself holding her breath. Things had been going well for them, but now the queen had ammunition against her. Would she actually go back to—

"What was…" Regina interrupted her thoughts, speaking slowly as she stared at the floor across the room, "your previous question?"

Emma broke into a large smile, which Regina ignored, and sat up, placing her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward. "What do I do now?"

"The magic is a part of you, one that you cannot get rid of. Now that it has been brought to life, you will need to try to remain in constant control of it. Magic is triggered and powered by emotion."

As Regina spoke she watched Emma take in the information. She looked serious, and willing to learn, but there was something distracting her. The sheriff had always been extremely easy to read but never before had reading the sheriff also triggered an emotional response.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, slightly clipped to hide her ruthful tone.

Emma glanced at her briefly and licked her lips again. For a brief moment the queen wondered if her lips were often chapped due to that nervous habit. Her memory triggered kissing Graham's chapped lips on occasion and she pushed the thoughts from her mind, standing. She knew of one surefire way to get Emma to talk. Regina made no motion for Emma to follow as she made her way into the kitchen but as soon as she brought out the coffee beans she heard the sounds of padded feet on her floor and knew she had won.

The blonde appeared in the doorway quickly, leaning against it and giving a look that reminded Regina of a begging dog. A fairly accurate comparison, giving the way Emma's eyes never left the coffee maker. Regina turned back to her task to hide her victorious smile from Emma and spoke over her shoulder.

"Are you going to answer my question?"

It was silent for a few moments before the sound of Emma sitting on the barstool was heard. There was a sigh, and the tight pull of a leather jacket. "I just…what if I get scared again? What if Henry runs out in front of another car and I'm not in control and I…set the car on fire or something? What if it explodes or what if I do something to Henry or…" she drifted, unable to continue her line of thought. It was too scary to imagine, hurting someone with magic.

There was a pregnant pause and Emma watched as Regina's shoulders stiffened a bit before almost slumping back down. Her nails scraped silently along the granite countertop before lifting to pour a cup of coffee. She turned then, her face exhausted, but unreadable, and placed the steaming mug in front of Emma.

"I've never liked 'what ifs,'" Regina said casually, watching as Emma broke into a short lived, but relieved smile.

"Me neither."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," the brunette said quietly, leaning against the counter.

"How do you know?" Emma asked, barely noticing the coffee.

"Because it would only happen if you wanted it to. When you saw the car coming, your first instinct was to simply get it away. You didn't wish the driver dead or for it to explode. Your magic responded accordingly."

"So, you're saying because I'm a good person, my magic will be good?"

Regina gave a roll of her eyes and crossed her arms. "If it helps you sleep at night."

"You don't look like you've been getting much sleep," Emma responded, taking a sip of her drink as she took in the dark rings around Regina's eyes again.

"Aren't you observant, and complimentary?" Regina snapped, straightening from the counter and running her hands down her skirt in an attempt to straighten it. Emma watched her do this before speaking again.

"One of my many talents. But how are you doing, seriously?"

"I don't see how that's any of your concern."

Emma groaned and placed her head against the bar. "I thought we were friends, Regina." As Regina's eyes narrowed in response, Emma amended her earlier comment, "Well, we're being _friendlier_ than usual. I just want to know how you are."

"Why?"

"Because that's what friends do! It's not like if you tell me something bad is going to happen."

Regina hitched then. It was small, barely even noticeable, but Emma saw it. Before she could blink it away, sadness ran across the brunette's eyes and Emma straightened in her chair.

"I promise. Nothing bad will come from this."

Regina crossed her arms again and attempted to swallow the lump rising in her throat. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Miss Swan."

"I don't."

Emma's confidence took the queen by surprise and she felt her stomach swimming around inside of her. It wasn't that she was emotionless or tried to be. She was full of anger and sarcasm and pride and undying love for her son. But to actually show emotion about herself…it had been so long since she'd let anyone see that deeply inside of her. A part of her wanted to tell someone. Another part of her knew that it would come back to bite her. It always did. She'd made do in the past but now, with Henry being the only thing keeping her tied to this life, she wasn't sure she wanted to take the risk again.

But there was a kindness in Emma's eyes. It was the same look Henry used to give her when he was young and she was his everything. It comforted her when she should have been frightened and consoled her when she should have been angry. Daniel used to be able to do that. She missed that.

"I still miss my mother. I suppose that goes along with the grieving process, which I'm very much used to. Recent sleepless nights have been brought on by…thoughts."

"Thoughts?"

"…Fears. I worry about going back to magic. The Evil Queen will always be a part of me. And she will ultimately be my downfall. But she's all I know."

"Maybe all you know, but not all you are."

Regina gave a short chuckle. "Look who's found some eloquence."

Emma smiled kindly and took a drink from her mug. "I know you can do it, Regina. And Henry knows you can too."

Regina dragged her teeth across her bottom lip before turning to wipe the immaculate counter again. There was a biting remark clawing at her throat, but she forced it down. Instead, muted and raspy, she said, "Thank you."

Emma simply smiled at the back of Regina's head and took another drink.


	6. Chapter 6: Birthday Dinner

**A/N: I swear, guys, that conflict will be coming in the chapter following this one. Thanks for sticking around!**

Birthday Dinner

He needed more. Rumpel grit his gnarled teeth together as he slammed another book shut. There was nothing here. Nothing that would help him regain his magic. Tossing the book to the side, he sighed and looked out the window. The tire tracks from Emma's little outburst were still there, black and definitive, smearing a mockery all over his pride, and he glared at them. The memory was still fresh in his mind, and his hands tingled as he reminisced of the powerful magic that had soared ever briefly through them.

He needed it. Rumpel's mouth salivated at the thought of gaining Emma's magic. If he was the most powerful before, there would be no stopping him with magic that potent. He could return Belle's memory; he could return Bae to a child and start over. He could finally be happy. They could finally be a happy family. His heart ached at the thought and he had to lean over his counter to keep upright. It was so appetizing, and it was so close. He just needed the final clue. Everything else would fall into place around it. He just needed patience and restraint. Magic or no, he was still The Dark One.

A flash of auburn caught his eye and Rumpel turned sharply to look out the window.

There she was.

Belle, or Lacey, as she thought, was walking down the opposite side of the street, dressed in a rather low cut shirt. She was heading to work, at that disgusting little bar. She didn't seem to like the attire, judging by her self-conscious gait, but it was required for her job and he glared at the bar's logo on the front of her chest. She passed by his shop almost every night on her way to work. Never once did she look over at him, even though he made no attempts to hide himself. In fact, it was almost as if she forced her eyes to look ahead. The notion caused his chest to ache and he placed his hand on the window as he watched her walk away yet again.

"I will get you back, Belle," he whispered. "I will make you fall in love with me again."

His door chime sounded then, and Rumpel looked up to see Henry walking in, regarding the shop with wonder. He smiled as he neared Rumpel and Rumpel felt himself returning it rather easily, grateful for the distraction. "Henry, my boy, what brings you in here?"

"Dad said that you said it was okay if we used your shop for the birthday party. I just wanted to come by and say thanks," he answered happily, giving Rumpel a crooked smile.

"It's no trouble at all. I trust you and your friends will be respectful."

"Oh, no friends. Just family. And we'll be careful. I promise," he said before perusing around the shop, hands firmly in his pockets.

Rumpel watched as he surveyed all the items, his tiny face scrunching up as he analyzed every detail and tried to figure out which bauble belonged to which character. He was a bright boy. Still young enough to let his emotions get in the way, but Rumpel supposed he couldn't fault him for that. He had never forgotten the prophecy of the little boy who would be his undoing, but he knew all too well that prophecies were never what they seemed. Henry was a kind boy, who had indeed led him to his son, and wanted for nothing but happy endings.

He had come to the assumption, in New York, that Henry would be his undoing in a different way. Perhaps he would undo the Dark One, or merely not interfere as Rumpel got his family back. Either way, he was a menial threat, if at all. Even if he would disapprove of him taking Emma's magic, Rumpel was not concerned. That plan would enact before anyone would be any the wiser. And at that point he would be the most powerful being in all the lands and realms. Patience had proved a better friend to him than letting his rage get the better of him. It was patience that had tempered Regina into the Evil Queen, patience that had enacted the curse, and in the end, patience that brought his son back to him. Patience would make him even greater than the Dark One and he failed to notice the sneer that had crept across his face as he thought.

Henry was in the middle of examining a couple of nondescript wind chimes when he heard the sound of a box being dropped onto the counter. Rumpel paid him no mind as the boy turned his head and watched as Rumpel took a few items out of the box and began polishing them.

"So, Henry, what do you want for your birthday, then?" he asked as the boy came over, resting his arms on the counter and his chin on his arms. It was a show of just how small he still was and Rumpel glanced over to see a young Neal staring back at him. He looked away quickly and cleared his throat as the boy continued to ponder his question.

"I don't know. I mean, I got my mom and my dad back, and that was all I wanted for a long time."

"Well, now that you're a normal little boy, maybe you should finally ask for a normal gift."

"No offense, but I don't think I'll ever be a 'normal' kid."

Rumpel chuckled at that and had to nod in agreement. "Yes, I suppose when the Evil Queen is your mother and the Savior is your other mother…well, not a lot of room for normalcy in that."

"She's not the Evil Queen anymore," Henry retorted, pushing off of the counter in an offended manner. "She's trying to get better."

"Ah, my apologies," Rumpel flashed his greasy smile and pulled out another item to polish. "Though, you have to admit, she has been given several chances, only to squander them."

"That's just because she didn't have anyone helping her." He puffed out his chest in a show of pride. "Emma and I are helping her now and she's gonna be good. She's not even using magic anymore."

Rumpel's eyebrow rose at that and he began subtly looking in the box for a specific item. "Oh? That must be hard for her."

"Why?" Henry asked, perplexed.

"Well, my boy, once you let magic in, it will always be a part of you. You're asking Regina to stop a real and very big part of her. Every emotion wants to let it out in some way, and now she has to resist that urge. It must be exhausting."

Henry frowned, and Rumpel watched him go defensive again. He'd found the item he was searching for, and was just waiting for the right moment to pull it out. "My mom is strong. She can do it."

Rumpel smiled and pulled the item out, polishing it nonchalantly, "Well, I certainly wish her the best."

Henry nodded stubbornly before his eyes fell on the object in Rumpel's hand. His head tilted to the side as he studied it, his small legs driving him just a little bit closer. Rumpel remained patient, polishing it slowly and carefully until the silver was gleaming in the sunlight of the shop. When he stopped to really examine it, pulling it away from his face and closer to Henry's, the boy finally said something.

"What is that?" he half-whispered, his eyes widening.

Gotcha.

"An item from another land and time. It's funny you should ask, though, as it does have particular relevance to what we were just speaking about…."

The sun was starting to set as Rumpel finished explaining the last item in his box. After hearing the story behind the first silver bauble, Henry couldn't get enough and eventually Rumpel had given an explanation to the entire box of knickknacks, never once losing the boy's attention. As he began to place all of the items back in the box, he watched Henry sigh in disappointment.

"Don't worry, Henry," he said, "there are plenty of other items in my shop we can discuss. But isn't it almost time for dinner?"

Henry's eyes widened as he looked at the clock, which showed five minutes to six. "Oh man, I'm late! Thanks for the tour, grandfather!" he shouted as he raced out of the door.

Rumpel chuckled to himself as he watched the boy dart out into the street without looking yet again. Thankfully, there wasn't a car in sight. Turning back to his box he lifted it off of the counter and placed it back behind the desk. The first silver item that he had taken out, however, would get a special place in the front row of his shop, just in case Henry had more questions about it, or even needed it. He had not known about Regina denouncing magic again and that was an unforeseen advantage. One that was currently testing his patience. Grabbing his coat, Rumpel locked the shop and headed out the door.

0-0-0-0-0

"God, kid, today, really?" Emma huffed as she made her way down the stairs to check for Henry.

Henry had disappeared hours ago, which was not unheard of. But he knew he was having dinner with Regina tonight and now, at 5:58, he was nowhere in sight. Regina was punctual to a fault and expected it from everyone else. If Henry wasn't on her doorstep by six, there would be hell to pay. "Henry?" she called, before rounding the kitchen counter. "Henry, we have to go. It is 5:59 and we have exactly sixty seconds to get to your mother's house before she kills me."

There was no response and she gave a loud groan, feeling her heart rate increase. He was probably fine. In fact, she was sure he was fine, she just didn't know where the hell he was. Probably off lollygagging somewhere and completely forgetting about the time. Emma looked at the clock again. 6:01. That would definitely earned her a glare from Regina. The kind that made her knees want to buckle together.

"You want me to die, don't you?" she shouted into the empty apartment. "You think it'd be cool to see your mom turn your other mom into a toad and then place a cherry bomb under her butt. It won't be cool!" Running a hand through her hair, she went to check out the window to see if he was coming.

6:02. Regina would now glare, cross her arms and give that impatient little foot tap. She hated that foot tap. It was slow, but constant, like the Chinese water torture, but much worse. If she waited any longer there would be no hope for her. She had to go to Regina's and explain that she couldn't find Henry. That was not a conversation she was looking forward to. But, Emma thought, it would definitely be better than having Regina wonder what happened.

She imagined the queen sitting at the table, surrounded by five star food, alone, and the thought made her stomach lurch. Shaking her head, Emma went to grab her jacket. It was during this process that she heard a knock at the door and breathed a sigh of relief as she ran to open it. Instead of Henry at the door, however, it was Rumpel. Instinctively, her eyes darted to the kitchen table, where the book of magic used to be. It was gone now, however, as Emma had moved it upstairs to one of her dresser drawers.

"Oh," Emma said, deflating and not caring if Rumpel noticed or not. "Rumpel, can I help you? I'm kind of in a hurry."

Rumpel smiled and held up a tiny key. "Just dropping off a spare key to the shop, so you can set up for the party."

"Oh, thanks," she said, taking the key absently and placing it on the table.

"Nothing emergent, I hope," he said as he took in Emma fiddling with her coat.

"Just losing Henry, as usual. He's expected at Regina's and—

"And you don't want to face that wrath," he finished with a nod, which Emma returned.

"Exactly, so, um, if you don't mind…" she pressed, hoping he'd get out of the way.

He seemed to get the hint and stepped to the side, holding the door open for her. "Oh, don't let me keep you. I'll get the door for you."

Mumbling a thanks, Emma darted out of the door and down the steps, hoping that Henry would run into her on the way to Regina's.

He didn't, much to Emma's disappointment, and she glanced at her watch as she made her way up to the mayoral mansion. 6:12. She was beyond being turned into a toad now. Her punishment was probably spontaneous combustion. At least that would be quick. Taking a deep breath, Emma reached up and knocked three times.

The door opened a few moments later, but not as quickly as Emma expected, and she watched as Regina emerged. Her hair was perfectly coiffed around her face and she was dressed as crisply as Emma had always seen her. She seemed surprised at Emma's presence, and stepped outside, holding the door closed. Decided it was better to jump right into it rather than letting Regina get a sassy remark in edgewise, Emma began.

"Regina, I'm so sorry. I can't find Henry. I mean, I don't think he's in trouble or anything but I just don't know where he is and I didn't want you to worry about where he was but I also don't want you to worry about where he is because I am going to find him but…"

She paused to get her and get her sentences sorted out, surprised that Regina made no attempts to interrupt her. Instead, she watched her carefully, the brunette's eyes darting from her eyes to lips as she spoke, holding her head up in that regal way she often did when she knew she was winning. And while Emma wasn't sure what she was winning, she knew she had every right to win.

"But I just wanted to say that I'm sorry and that…that I didn't want you to be alone and, and wondering or something," she finished, embarrassed by her verbal onslaught.

But Regina seemed…pleased. It was subtle, but there definitely wasn't any anger in her eyes and Emma frowned as the queen opened the door wider and called into the hallway. "Henry."

He came around the corner quickly, the smile on his face easy. But it disappeared as soon as he saw Emma and the knowledge of what he'd done hit him. Regina waited until he reached the door before she said, "Is there someone you forgot to tell where you were going?"

Henry winced as he looked up at Emma, "Sorry, I was gonna be late if I stopped and you know how mom hates when we're late."

"Uh, yeah, yeah I do," Emma laughed, relieved, before turning to Regina again. "Sorry about this, Regina, I'll just—

"Emma! Are you staying for dinner?" Henry asked, looking between both of his mothers expectantly.

"Oh, kid, I don't think…" she paused, trying to come up with an acceptable excuse. Regina seemed to be in a fairly pleasant mood, but she wasn't going to push it. This was her time with her son, and Emma knew she had no place butting into it, regardless of how much she wanted to, judging by the calm look on the queen's face and the enticing aroma coming from the kitchen.

"There's plenty of food, Miss Swan, if you can stay," Regina said, interrupted Emma's thoughts, pushing the door open wider and heading back inside.

Emma's mouth fell open slightly as she watched the brunette saunter back into the kitchen. It was like it was nothing, inviting her arch nemesis into the house. In truth, Emma probably wasn't her arch nemesis anymore but she had yet to figure out what exactly they were, and why she was so worried about putting a name to their relationship. She felt a tiny hand in hers and looked down to see Henry pulling her into the house and shutting the door behind them. "Mom made all of my favorites," he said to her eagerly. "And look," he finished, gesturing to the living room.

Emma turned to see three beautifully wrapped presents sitting on the coffee table in the living room. It looked like something out of a magazine and Emma wasn't the least bit surprised. She smiled at the sight as Henry pulled her forward, into the kitchen, where they sat on barstools and watched Regina maneuver around the kitchen with expert ease.

Regina was in the process of pulling a pan out of the oven when she glanced over at the two. They both had the same expression on their faces: calm, but happy, as well as maybe a hint of interest at what she was doing. The resemblance between them was striking and she felt a pull at her chest that wasn't entirely painful. If Henry was going to take after Emma, she supposed that wouldn't be too bad, so long as he pushed his intellect a little more than she did.

"This all looks fantastic, Regina," Emma commented, her eyes scouring over the French fries and cheeseburgers and lasagna and…Emma frowned as she looked at the apple turnovers. They hadn't exactly had a good relationship with the pastry in the past and she looked over at Henry, who had noticed her staring.

He shrugged simply. "I asked for them. They're really good. And mom's not trying to hurt us anymore. Right, mom?"

He'd asked the question simply, innocently, with no malice behind it, but Emma still saw Regina flinch just slightly at his words as she set the tray on the oven and pulled off the oven mitts. She looked at Henry and gave a soft, almost shy smile, avoiding Emma's eyes at all costs.

"Right, Henry. Never again."

She crossed her heart and he smiled, reaching for one, only to stop and look over at her. She seemed to relax a little and she smiled, gesturing him to eat. "It's your birthday. Eat what you want when you want. That's always been our rule, right?"

He nodded proudly and took a decent sized bite of the turnover, rolling his eyes at the taste. "Try one, Emma," he pushed, his voiced muffled by the food. Bits of food tumbled out over his lips and he snickered into his hands.

Emma smiled as she watched him try to compose himself. She hadn't seen him this happy since Neal showed him around New York, and even then it had been stifled by the even greater threat of Cora. Now he was just a soon to be eleven year old enjoying his youth. Emma turned to smile at Regina, only to find that she was already looking her way. She seemed a bit surprised at being caught, but they both then shared an easy smile over their son.

As Henry swallowed his bite, Regina came over and grabbed another turnover. Emma watched as she tore off a corner and placed it in her mouth, before extending it to the blonde. "I promise, it's safe," she said, much more politely than Henry had.

Emma paused for just a moment. Regina was…playing with her. Joking with her, even. Were they really at a point where they could joke about Henry's death? Regina seemed to think so. And it was kind of cute the way she seemed to tease the blonde with turnover in her hand. Two could play that game.

Emma gave a short chuckle and, instead of taking the turnover from her hand, she merely leaned over and took a large bite as Regina held it. "I was never worried," she answered, wiping her mouth. It was definitely the best turnover she'd ever had, not that she was surprised.

Slightly taken aback by Emma's presumptuous bite, Regina licked her lips and put the turnover back on the plate, instructing Henry to help carry the food to the table. Emma helped and soon they were talking and laughing over the meal as if it was something they'd always done. As she watched Regina regaling Henry with some silly story, Emma felt a strange feeling creep into the back of her mind. This was what a family looked like. A happy family. She felt at home here, more than she ever had, and the thought frightened her just a bit. She'd been on the move for so long that the thought of settling down seemed alien. And yet it seemed perfect at the same time.

"Emma?" Regina called, noticing that she had spaced from the conversation.

Emma's eyes lifted to meet Regina's, and they both smiled at each other, though Regina's was slightly more concerned. It was so easy to smile at her now, Emma thought. So easy to simply be in her presence. Was this what happiness felt like? If it was, Emma knew that she never wanted to be without it again.

After Henry had opened his presents and Regina cleared the table it was almost ten. Henry was stifling a yawn every few minutes but he was determined sit upright with Emma on the couch, focusing too intently on the cartoons he had found on the television. Regina watched him from the chair and she and Emma met eyes, silently understanding that it was time to end the night

Regina looked away then, focusing out the window. She'd had a wonderful night, but now it was ending. She knew it was selfish, especially since things were going so well, but she didn't want it to end. She wanted to carry Henry up to his room like she had not so long ago, and see him in the morning when she woke. Patience wasn't her strong suit, but she had to try.

"Regina," Emma's hushed whisper broke her from her thoughts.

She turned to face the blonde and found that she had a finger over her lips, pointing into her lap with the other. Henry had finally succumbed to his fatigue and was now sleeping across her lap. Regina smiled at him before glancing up at Emma, and reminding herself that they had to leave. Standing, she headed over to the couch, lifting the boy's head so that Emma could slide out from underneath him. When Emma was out Regina gently set him back down and gave Emma a short nod.

"I guess I'll go get his things," she said somberly.

"Why?"

Emma's quiet question stopped her and Regina turned around to see the blonde carrying her son towards the stairs, up to his room. He was flung over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes but Emma didn't seem to be burdened with his weight otherwise and she took the steps slowly and carefully so as not to jostle him awake. Regina stood in the entryway and watched it for a moment, in disbelief. Her son would be staying with her tonight. She would wake up and see him. But would he want to see her? Suddenly feeling very alone, Regina quickly went up the stairs after them. She helped Emma with the door to his room and pulled back the covers as Emma laid him down gently. Once he was settled they both tip toed out of the room. Regina carrying her heels in her hand.

With the door shut safely behind them, both women gave a relieved exhale before Regina gestured back downstairs. As they descended Emma watched the brunette in front of her. Every action was planned and fluid and graceful. Even the way her fingertips slid along the bannister was a show of…of something. It was beautiful to watch. She was beautiful to watch.

"Did you want a drink?" Regina offered as she reached the bottom floor.

While Emma wanted nothing more than to stay longer, she knew that it was for the best if she left. Things were going well and she was enjoying being in Regina's company. Alcohol had the propensity to ruin all of that.

"Believe me, that's very tempting. But I shouldn't take any more advantage of your hospitality."

Whether Regina was upset by the decline or not, Emma didn't know because her back was still turned to her. However, Regina did seem a bit stiffer as she headed to the closet by the door to grab the blonde's jacket. They were silent as Emma buttoned up her coat. Regina watched her idly, arms crossed, walls back up. When Emma's jacket was on neither woman moved towards the door.

"I think Henry had a blast tonight," Emma offered, watching Regina's eyes light up as she looked towards the stairs.

"Thank you… for letting him stay."

"Of course, Regina."

They each shared a smile before Regina finally went to the door, her hand slowly pulling it open. Emma headed towards the porch, stopping when she was even with the brunette again. Regina glanced up at her slowly, her eyes searching Emma's. Emma felt her stomach tightening at the sight of this beautiful and powerful woman, who seemed to hang on her every word, simply because of Henry. Regina always seemed to be at the whim of others.

"I want you to come to Henry's party," Emma blurted quickly, cheeks flushing at her sudden outburst.

Regina's head tilted to the side as she regarded her. "What?" she half-whispered.

"Henry's birthday next Saturday. I want you to come."

It took Regina a few moments to process what Emma had asked of her. And in that time, her fears started to take over. Emma pitied her. She was being too kind. There had to be something behind this. She'd been doing well, but this was all going above and beyond what she had imagined. It frightened her, this kindness. There had to be a catch.

Much to Emma's surprise, Regina gave a small smile. "Thank you, Emma, but you don't have to do that," she said.

Emma paused, momentarily stunned, by the response. But in that time, she could also see the blackness in Regina's eyes. There was nothing behind them. She was hiding something, and she was scared. Emma took another step closer, and slowly lifted her hand to place it on Regina's arm. She pretended not to notice.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. It's your son's birthday, Regina. We're having a party with the family. You, most of all, should be there. Please."

Regina's eyes fell to the floor and Emma's hand instinctively tightened just a bit on her arm. A part of her wanted to reach out further, in some way, to tell her that she was going to be okay. But she didn't know how. She didn't know what to do. She could only wait and hope that Regina would see what she wanted her to see.

Regina's eyes lifted again and this time when they met Emma's, they were smiling, full of hope. "Thank you, Emma. I'd like that."

"Me too," Emma smiled back before looking out the door. "Well, I guess I'll be going then."

Regina nodded, and extended her hands outward, as if she were going to hug Emma. And yet, as soon as she did it, her hands pulled back to clasp in front of her. It was the strangest, most ungraceful thing Emma had ever seen from the queen, and Regina looked rather upset at having done it. Deciding to drop it, Emma merely gave a nod and headed out the door.

Regina closed the door allowed herself to lean against it, regaining her composure. She had almost hugged Emma. And what's worse was that it had been almost instinctual, like a habit. The thought made her hands shake and she quickly ran one of them through her hair. Her icy façade unraveled around Emma, revealing emotions she thought she was incapable of feeling again. A part of her wanted to rein it in. It scared her, this vulnerability. It was what people always preyed on. But another part of her enjoyed this feeling. It reminded her of happier times and when she was young and not embittered by the world. And Emma had seemed so sincere….

Regina looked back up the stairs to where her son was sleeping and smiled.


	7. Chapter 7: Assault

Assault

Emma's cheerful, almost giddy mood had dwindled by the time she returned home, exhaustion having taken its place. She smiled as she thought of her warm bed and gently turned the door knob, easing the door open as quietly as possible. As the door swung open, however, it turned out that the silence was pointless.

Standing in the center of the apartment, looking strangely identical in their disapproving glares, were her parents. Snow visibly gave a sigh of relief as the blonde entered, but Charming's face seemed frozen in disappointed concern and she had to work to hold back her chuckle. It was then that Emma realized her mother was out of bed. She still looked sickly and tired, but standing upright was a good thing. And while her eyes still held their perpetual guilty sadness, they were also filled with concern. Her parents meant well, but they were just as new at being parents as she was. Not to mention that her kid was actually still a kid, not a grown woman.

"Emma," Snow said airily, her eyes widening even more, which Emma thought impossible, "where have you been?"

"We were worried sick," Charming joined in.

Emma furrowed her brows humorously and closed the door behind her. "I was out getting wasted at this rad party. But then the cops showed up so I had to bail right in the middle of the beer pong championship."

"That's not funny," Snow glowered, looking down at her feet, as if ashamed.

"It's not. I was winning."

"_Emma_."

"It kind of is funny. Come on, guys, I'm almost thirty years old. I appreciate the concern, but this is a little…" she drifted, not wanting to hurt her parents feelings too much.

Despite Emma's efforts, Snow still looked upset and she instinctively nestled herself into Charming's side. His arm came around her shoulders and held her close. Emma had to look away at that. Her parents were so naturally intimate, so attuned to one another, that sometimes it was hard to watch. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that her parents were being romantic or something else. Deep down, she was probably jealous of what they had, though she'd never admit it to anyone, much less herself.

"We were supposed to have dinner together," Snow said finally. It sounded as if the motherly worry had left her, and the lethargic tear-trap had returned. She looked over longingly at her bed, wishing she could return to it. But Charming held her firmly to his side.

"And where's Henry?" Charming asked, looking around Emma as if the boy had been hiding behind her the entire time.

Emma turned her back to them as she slid her jacket off and hung it up on the hooks by the door. "He stayed the night at Regina's."

Two audible gasps filled her ears and she rolled her eyes before turning back around to face them. Snow looked as if her heart had just been ripped out, looking from side to side as she clutched at her shirt over her chest. It was a trait she had developed as of late, since Cora. Clearly, she still wasn't over that, and Emma sighed. Charming leaned forward slightly, his hand coming to rest on his hip, where his gun holster normally sat.

"You let him stay with _her_?" he asked, his voice filled with such disdain that Emma had to scoff at him.

"She _is_ his mother. He was tired after his birthday dinner. He fell asleep on the couch and…it was just easier. It was what she wanted."

"But she—

"Dad," Emma implored, watching the muscles around his eyes loosen, "she's really trying. You should have seen the look on her face. She was genuinely happy."

Snow looked up then, almost hopeful as she continued to clutch at the fabric in front of her chest. "She's…she's happy?"

Emma shrugged. "Seemed like she was."

"It doesn't matter. Her happiness is irrelevant. She tried to kill us, Emma. Given the chance, she'll do it again. All you're doing by letting her in is making it worse. It's going to hurt more when she eventually turns against you."

Charming spoke confidently, laying his hand out flat as if saying his final word, though Emma knew that was unlikely. Snow had taken to looking at the floor, swaying back and forth and slowly easing herself out of her husband's arm. Emma felt anger rising in her chest, and an overwhelming urge to scream and stomp her foot. Instead, she just shook her head, choosing to give her parents a disappointed glare.

"Look, everything Regina's ever had in her life has been taken away from her, good or bad."

At this point, Snow finally released herself from her husband and slowly stalked over to her bed. Charming glared at Emma in an attempt to place the blame but she ignored him.

"Henry is the one thing she has left, and the one thing she has never tried to hurt."

"Except for when she put him under a sleeping curse," her father returned, nodding to further prove his point.

"That was meant for me. And…and they're really good."

Charming let out an incredulous laugh and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "Is that supposed to make it better? That a poisoned pastry was meant for you and that they taste good? Emma, do you honestly hear yourself? That witch has had more chances than she ever deserved."

"Just sparing her life isn't a good enough chance. She needs more—

"We should go get Henry," he interrupted, casting his eyes to the door behind Emma's head. "He's not safe there."

Emma's mouth opened and closed for a few moments as she tried to gather her thoughts. They just didn't get it. And she was beginning to wonder if they would ever get it. Regina was a very difficult woman. She knew this firsthand. But she'd also seen the woman behind the cruelty and lies, and she was very, very much in need of help. Emma looked up at her father, the Prince Charming of fairytales, and found that she couldn't look at him. So she lowered her eyes to the staircase and uttered a simple, "No."

"No?" he repeated, his brow furrowing, tilting his head to the side.

"No, you're not going to get Henry. I am." She met his eyes then and Charming visibly shrunk back at the determination in them. "Tomorrow."

"But—

Emma merely held up a hand to silence him and retreated up the stairs. Her comfortable bed looked even better than she imagined, but she knew she would be getting no sleep tonight and she sighed as she kicked off her shoes and lay on top of it. She stared at the ceiling and rested her arms behind her head and thought of Regina.

0-0-0-0-0

Much to Emma's relief, Charming had listened to her and had not gone after Henry in the night. She knew this because, as predicted, she did not get any sleep, and she groaned as she descended the stairs in her typical tank top and boy shorts. Snow remained in bed, and appeared to be asleep, but that meant nothing lately, and Charming was leaning over the counter. He straightened when he saw her enter and gave her a nod.

She returned it and began messing with the coffee maker, struggling significantly due to her crankiness and fatigue. Charming watched her for a few moments before he cleared his throat. She turned slowly, hoping that he could tell she wasn't in the mood for another argument, but his eyes seemed softer.

"I'm sorry about last night," he said quietly, for his wife's sake. "It's just…this is has been a stressful few weeks." He glanced over at Snow and smiled softly. "I finally get her out of bed for dinner, and you don't show and I just…I let my frustrations get the better of me."

Emma nodded, glancing over at her mother. She had forgotten entirely about the dinner, and it was huge that her mother had gotten out of bed. Guilt slowly started to replace the frustration in her gut, and she looked up at her father. "I'm sorry I missed dinner," she said, pausing to let it sink in between them. "Are you sorry about what else you said?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Charming sighed and Emma shook her head, turning back to her coffee maker. She felt a hand on her shoulder and allowed it to gently turn her back around. "Emma, I'm just worried. You haven't known her as long as we have," he offered kindly.

"You're right. I haven't known her as long, and yet I know more about her than any of you. What does that say?"

Charming opened his mouth to give a quick retort but thought better of it. Instead he scratched the back of his neck and let out a deep sigh. "Look, if you go and pick up Henry, then I'll be even less on edge and we can discuss this more."

"There's nothing to discuss," Emma said a little louder than intended and they both looked over at Snow, who didn't move. Emma hated this. She felt like a teenager defending a rebel boyfriend. It was immature, and it was stupid and certainly didn't help her mood. Taking her frustration out on the coffee maker, she pulled the plug out of the back of it, rendering it useless. Feeling on the verge of tears, she turned back to her father. "I think I'll go out for my coffee."

With that she left the kitchen and headed up the stairs to put on her day old jeans. Charming tried to catch her again as she left, but she let the door close on his words.

Granny's was closer. She could see it from her parents' apartment, and the smells coming from it were wonderful. But Granny's was also cheerful, and loud, and Emma wanted neither of those things in her current state. That left only one other option. Besides, she did have to pick her son up anyway.

As Emma bounded down the street towards Regina's house, she wondered why she even debated her choice of coffee anymore. She'd walk fifty miles through the desert for one espresso sized cup of Regina's brew and she wasn't ashamed to admit it. But addiction was a funny thing, and it often made people do crazy things. Emma's caffeine addiction may have been legal, but that didn't mean it was any less intense. Plus, another part of her missed Regina's company. That part of her was growing increasingly more constant. But, as long as Regina didn't mind, Emma wouldn't dwell on it.

Reaching the house, she knocked on the door. It wasn't quite as loud as normal, just in case her son was still sleeping. Regina opened the door a few moments later and gave Emma a surprisingly knowing smile, as if she predicted the savior would show up earlier than expected. Emma returned the smile easily, noting the comfortable clothes the brunette was wearing. Dark slacks and a loose button up blouse. She still looked immaculate, but not nearly as straight laced as her usual business attire suggested. While her hair had been brushed, it still held a few stray morning curls that had been swept adorably to the side. All of that combined with the sly little smile almost made Emma forget why she was here. Thankfully, the steaming cup in Regina's palms helped keep her mission priority.

"Back so soon?" Regina asked, allowing the door to attempt to close and rest against her shoulder, denying Emma access to the house.

"It really bothers me that you look this good in the morning," Emma blurted, glaring at the coffee cup, painfully aware that she hadn't brushed her hair, much less looked in a mirror this morning.

"You're not really a morning person, are you?" Regina asked, tapping a well-manicured nail against the cup, the rhythmic tapping sounding like a ticking time bomb to the savior.

"Not without my coffee," she whined without even attempting to hide it.

Regina seemed to ponder this for a moment, acutely aware that Emma's attention was focused on her untouched and freshly made coffee. The tapping continued and she watched with amusement how Emma seemed to lean just a little bit closer. Finally, her tapping slowed and then ceased. Regina looked down at her coffee and gave a resigned sigh. Emma's eyes widened in excitement, and they met Regina's. Slowly, she lifted the tapping finger and pointed it to the left.

"Granny's is that way," she said slowly, watching with delight as Emma's face sank.

"Really?" she asked, too tired to understand if Regina was joking or not.

Rolling her eyes, Regina pushed the mug into Emma's hands and turned around, the movement pushing the door back open. Emma followed obediently, sipping the mug and instantly feeling her crankiness fading. As she shut the door again, Emma heard a light smacking sound and followed it all the way to Regina, noticing that she was barefoot. The notable click of her heels was gone and replaced with the laid back slap of skin on tile. It was…very cute, to see Regina like this. She looked happy. Smiling to herself, Emma followed Regina back into the kitchen, where the brunette was brewing another pot.

"I…appreciate you letting Henry stay over," Regina said as she heard Emma near. She turned with a new cup and raised it almost as a toast to Emma before putting it to her lips. "It was nice having him here."

"You look like you got a good night's sleep," the blonde offered, noticing that the rings around Regina's eyes seemed to have died down a bit.

"Yes, that was nice too," Regina answered a bit too quickly.

Emma narrowed her eyes but the queen turned back around to fiddle with the coffee maker. "Everything okay, Regina?" she asked, noticing how Regina's shoulders hitched at the question.

"Of course."

"Are you sure?"

Regina turned around again, looking rather exasperated at the questions and placed her hands on her hips. It reminded Emma of how they spoke to each other before this newfound truce. Everything was a battle or a challenge. Regina raised her eyebrow, as if daring Emma to continuing her questioning. However, before the savior could ask another question to spite Regina, there was the sound of padded feet on the floorboard.

"Morning," Henry said groggily, sitting on the barstool next to Emma and laying his head in his arms.

"Good morning," they said simultaneously, and he chuckled into his arms.

"You owe each other cokes."

"I'll settle for coffee," Emma answered, ruffling his erratic hair.

Regina smiled at him and asked what he wanted for breakfast. The smile on her face and the shine in her eyes was enough to let Emma drop the questions for now.

After breakfast Henry said goodbye to his mother and headed out into the front yard to wait for his other mother to take him home. Emma was putting on her jacket as she headed out the door and she turned to face Regina once more. Though the breakfast had been pleasant, now that they were leaving Regina looked increasingly more ill at ease. Emma had hoped that she was past these fears of Henry never coming back, but she couldn't blame her for being concerned.

"I feel like I should be paying you for the coffee," she half-joked, watching as Regina's eyebrows rose and hoping it would relax her.

"You should. It's not cheap."

"Oh? Really? Um, I left my wallet at home but I can bring it back and—

"Miss Swan," Regina interrupted, her face unchanging, "that was a joke."

Emma's widened eyes turned to slits but she couldn't hide her smile. "So, we're back to 'Miss Swan,' huh?"

"First names must be earned."

"Oh, how do I 'earn' my name back?" Emma wiggled her eyebrows in such a way that Regina couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Keep that up and you'll revert all the way back to 'Sheriff.'"

"Ouch. Hey…seriously though, am I bothering you, stopping by so much?" Emma asked, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She didn't know why she asked the question in the first place. Regina had always been pleasant when she'd shown up unannounced since their cease-fire. Perhaps it was Emma's innate fear that something was always going to go wrong. She and Regina seemed to have that in common; though that was a thought she kept very much to herself.

Regina's face remained passive as she regarded the blonde in front of her. She wanted to tell Emma no, that she was welcome any time. Because that was the truth. But she couldn't do that. Emma would see right through her if she dared go that far. She'd start asking those questions that Henry had saved her from at breakfast. Regina wasn't prepared to answer those yet, and she wasn't sure she would ever be ready. She also wasn't prepared to turn Emma away.

"There are other things I could be doing than catering to your addiction, yes," she answered finally, looking down at Emma as she would any other peasant. "But when has that ever stopped you?" she finished with a raised eyebrow before turning and heading back inside.

Before the door shut all the way, she heard Emma's voice call out an eager, "I'm taking that as a no!" and smiled to herself. However it faded quickly, and she leaned against the door, listening as the chatter faded down the block. She was alone again. Regina looked around the large house warily before peering outside. She saw nothing out of the ordinary and took small relief in the click of the deadbolt.

0-0-0-0-0

"Homework?"

"Check."

"Notebooks?"

"Check."

"Pencils?"

"Check."

"Lunch money?"

"Check."

"Pants?"

Henry opened his mouth to say 'check' once again before he broke out into laughter. Emma followed suit before zipping up the backpack and offering it to her son, who looped it over his arms. Once he was ready to go, Henry trotted over to Snow, still bed-ridden, and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Bye, Grandma," he said sweetly, and Emma was relieved to see Snow's hand come up and touch his cheek. It was a lethargic action, but a genuine one nonetheless and Henry smiled before heading back over to his mother. Opening the door for her, they made their way out of the apartment and down the street towards school.

"You excited for your birthday, kid?" Emma asked as they crossed a street.

Henry nodded eagerly. "I get to bring candy on Friday and I was going to bring my new action figure that mom gave me," he looked up at Emma, slightly concerned, "but I can't find it."

"It wasn't with the stack we brought home?"

He shook his head again and Emma shrugged. "Maybe I didn't pick it up. I can grab it for you today. I've got some time before work. You'll have it in time for tomorrow."

"I wanted to come with you," he whined, and Emma looked down at him before it dawned on her.

Stopping on the sidewalk, she knelt down to his level, trying to conceal the overwhelming pride that was coursing through her. Henry looked wary, as if he was in trouble, and Emma smiled to ease him.

"Henry, you can see your mom whenever you want. You don't need an excuse."

"Really?"

"Of course. I'll pick up your action figure, but we can still go see her after school if you want."

Henry beamed at her, and Emma noticed that he seemed to have gotten her not so straight teeth. Perhaps she'd have to discuss orthodontics with Regina when she went to pick up Henry's action figure. After dropping Henry off, Emma immediately turned and made her way back to Regina's house. Braces had taken up her thoughts, and she was trying to calculate her sheriff's salary against them. Regina had money, but was this curse elaborate enough to include insurance? Not to mention the fact that they were definitely going out of town for the procedure. She wasn't going to let some lawn gnome work on….

Emma paused on the sidewalk leading up to Regina's door. It was a cloudy day, but the sun was attempting to get through, and as it shown briefly upon the queen's house, something caught her eye. The window on the far right side of the house. All of Regina's windows were squeaky clean, but that one still shone brighter than the rest. Emma continued up the walkway and diverted from the stone pathway to get a closer look. Emma thought about how Regina would kill anyone, especially her, who had the audacity to walk on her immaculate lawn let alone add the insult of traipsing through the bushes and flowers planted beneath the mayor's front windows. But that wasn't enough to stop Emma.

As expected, the close up inspection proved that it was brand new. Frowning, the blonde knelt down in front of the window, scanning the mulch, the lawn, and the cracks of the walkway. She found what she was looking for in a potted plant. It had been partially hidden by the dirt, but she found it nonetheless. A small shard of glass. Regina's window had been broken.

Emma's thoughts immediately went to foul play and she shot up then and headed straight for the door. She wasn't sure what she was thinking because anger and concern had taken over. All she wanted to do was get to Regina and make sure she was safe. Not bothering to knock, Emma tried the knob, surprised and even angrier to find it unlocked. This only increased her worry and she ran into the foyer, looking up the stairs.

She didn't want to call out. If someone was in here with her, she didn't want to set them off. No way was she giving the bastard time to escape. Guilt swam through her as she crept down the hallway towards the study. It had been days since she'd come over to visit. The window could have been broken any time within the week. But if someone was getting that close to her house, it was too damn close.

The door to the study was slightly ajar, and Emma peered around it, exhaling with relief as she saw Regina sitting at the desk. A tumbler was in her right hand pressed to her cheek, her eyes closed. She was dressed as pristinely as always and appeared to be unharmed, and Emma couldn't hide the relief in her voice as she exhaled her name.

"Regina."

The brunette jumped at the sound, and Emma saw fear flash across her eyes before they grew angry. Slamming the tumbler—which was only filled with ice, Emma noticed—on the desk, Regina stood and flipped her hair out from behind her ear.

"What are you doing here?" she growled. "Don't come near me," she added as she saw Emma take a step into the room.

Emma's relief had quickly dissipated, and she frowned as she ignored the queen's command and came closer. Regina turned to face the fireplace and crossed her arms. She was hiding something. There was fear there. Instinctively, Emma reached for Regina, who pulled quickly away, her anger returning full force.

"You can't just come into my home unannounced," she said, backing up.

Emma paused then, tilting her head to the side. "I saw your new window."

"How observant of you."

"And I came to make sure you were okay," Emma said, frustrated at the ungrateful tone she was getting.

"Because I got a new window?" Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. She refused to meet Emma's eyes.

"Because your old one was shattered. Regina, why didn't you call me?"

Regina frowned, slightly confused. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you specialized in window replacements. One of your many talents, it seems."

Emma groaned in annoyance. She didn't like being made the fool, especially when it wasn't actually her doing. She took a few steps closer and Regina's face shot up, glaring.

"Don't come near me," she repeated.

But Emma had already seen it. Regina could tell by the way the blonde's eyes had widened. She was going to tell her to go away again, but the determination in Emma's eyes intimidated her into submission. Emma was in front of her in an instant, their faces just inches apart. Regina couldn't tell if the blonde was enraged or not. She could smell coffee on her, and a faint hint of deodorant and waited for whatever was to come.

Emma stared at her for a long time, searching behind those eyes. But Regina had brought up the walls again, and her eyes stared straight ahead. Emma raised a hand to Regina's face, and the brunette pushed it away. She brought it up again, more quickly, and grabbed the queen's chin, turning it sharply to the right. Regina winced instinctively, waiting for the pain, which always came.

Instead of pain, she felt the slightest touch of Emma's fingertips as she ever so gently tucked her brown hair back behind her ear, revealing the bruise. There was a slight intake of breath as Emma studied the bruise, which covered Regina's entire cheek. It was swollen and a sickly color of purple and black and red. Seeing something so hideous on Regina caused Emma's stomach to lurch. Tentatively, Emma grazed her fingertips over it, and Regina pulled away slightly. Emma pulled her free hand back, the one on Regina's chin sliding downward and across her neck before pulling away.

"Who did this to you?" she asked quietly, in their closeness.

"It doesn't matter how it happened."

"Yes, it damn well does."

"Why?" Regina growled, putting up her defenses.

"Because I'm going to kill them," Emma said simply.

Regina looked at her cautiously. Emma looked completely serious, which frightened the queen a bit. Emma was known to be violent, but this was dark, even for her.

"It might not have been a person," Regina answered quietly, hoping to calm the blonde down.

"I will still kill it."

"How do you propose to kill a door?"

"Fire and a wood chipper, but it wasn't a door."

Emma stepped back to meet Regina's eyes. "You don't get bruises like that from a door," she said knowingly, a darkness in her voice that Regina hadn't heard before. Emma brought her free hand up again to ghost over Regina's jawline while her other hand clenched tightly to stem her anger.

Regina opened her mouth to respond, only to realize that she couldn't find the words. Taking a deep breath, Emma turned around and grabbed the tumbler, handing it back to Regina, who took it silently. She watched as Regina placed it to her cheek again and took the queen by the arm, guiding her over to the chair to sit.

"I'm calm now," Emma said after a few moments of silence, and Regina raised her eyebrows at her. "Ok, I'm calm now. Just…" The blonde broke off as she dropped her eyes to regain some more of her composure. When Emma finally looked up, she focused on those dark eyes, ignoring the sickly discoloration of Regina's skin as it snuck around the tumbler pressed against it. After a deep breath in, Emma tried to convince Regina, "Please, tell me what happened."

Regina sighed and crossed her legs, shaking her head. Emma waited patiently as she tried to remember without showing any emotion.

"The window was on Tuesday. Someone threw a brick through it in the night. I didn't see who it was and I didn't care who it was. The…this," she said rather ineloquently, shaking her tumbler a bit, "happened this morning. I was walking around outside, tending to the yard and…I don't know what it was that hit me. If it was a person, I didn't see them, and if it was something else whatever they threw they took with them. I just…felt the pain and hit the ground."

Regina sighed again and Emma thought for a moment she saw her lip tremble. "I blacked out for a few moments, but they were gone when I came to."

"Did the brick have a note or anything attached to it?" Emma asked, hoping her professionalism would get them both through this.

Regina scoffed at that and threw her eyes to the ceiling. "A note isn't necessary, Miss Swan. We both know why this is happening."

Emma clenched her jaw and shook her head. "No one deserves this," she said sharply.

Regina merely shrugged and adjusted the tumbler. "The evil queen might."

"_No one_ deserves this," Emma repeated.

"_I heard you._"

"Besides, even if you think you deserve it, which you don't, at least lock the damn door and make them work for it," Emma continued, exasperated, jutting her thumb out in the direction of the front door.

"I may have been a bit _disoriented_ when I came inside," Regina said through gritted teeth, gesturing with the tumbler towards her cheek.

They glared at each other for a few moments before Emma let it drop, rubbing her hands on her thighs. "Have you taken something for the pain?" she asked finally.

"There's no pain," Regina answered simply.

Emma found that hard to believe but decided to let that drop too. "Are you going to…" she paused lifting her hands and waving them around a bit, "get rid of it?"

Regina smiled softly, though it wasn't directed at Emma, and shook her head. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"No magic. I promised Henry."

"Regina, he wouldn't want—

"It doesn't matter," Regina interrupted, sighing again. "I promised him I wouldn't use it."

Emma licked her lips and gave a short nod. "What about the party tomorrow?"

"The swelling will go down by tomorrow. Make up will cover it up."

"Regina, I'm sorry."

The words surprised them both and they regarded each other carefully. Regina looked as if she was about to say something but let it drop, giving a simple nod instead.

"How long has this been going on?"

Regina shrugged, as if this question was simple as remembering what she had for breakfast. "It started after the curse broke. After the stint with my mother…well, it's grown since then."

"Is that why you always seemed so nervous when Henry and I left?"

Regina frowned, upset with herself that she had been so transparent, but gave a nod. "It's not you or Henry they're after. They seem to keep their distance when either of you are around." She laughed cruelly then and put the tumbler down. "Using my son…."

"Don't," Emma cautioned, pointing a finger at the brunette. "Don't do that to yourself. You'd do anything to protect Henry, if it came to that."

Regina made no response to that so Emma closed her eyes. Emma was still pissed, she still wanted blood. And if she found out who did this, she would make damn sure they never did it again. But she didn't want to talk about this anymore. And it was clear that Regina didn't either. However, there was no way in hell she was going to leave her alone. If they were attacking Regina in her own backyard it was clear they'd have no qualms about coming into her home.

"So, I think Henry might need braces," she announced, watching as Regina's head tilted to the side, confused by the sudden subject change. Emma nodded and leaned forward. "Sorry to say he got my teeth. But we should start looking into it for him."

Regina paused for a moment, and Emma could see the tightness around her eyes soften as she nodded. "I have done a little research on the matter."

0-0-0-0-0

"Come on, Cora," Rumpel grumbled aloud to himself as he flipped through the pages of Regina's book. It had been all too easy to pilfer it from Emma's apartment. All he had to do was mention his absence and she was out the door. In fact, when her son was concerned, Emma was almost embarrassingly easy to manipulate. He made sure to file that information away for later, just in case.

But so far, his find had been unsatisfying. Most of the spells written in this book were ones that Rumpel had taught Cora himself. Didn't she have any imagination? Did she have no desire to attempt to create something new? If she didn't, she wasn't the woman he thought she was. Towards the end of the book, the handwriting had changed, and Rumpel recognized it as Regina's. His eyebrows rose as he scanned the pages of incantations and curses and spells, some even he had never heard of before. Had Regina merely stumbled upon these, or had she created them herself?

Perhaps Regina was more of a threat than Rumpel had originally thought. He had always considered her powerful, yes, but much in the way a human considers an ant lifting a leaf powerful. If she was showing this type of prowess he might have to watch her a little more closely. However, he had already planted the seed to get her out of the way. He just needed to be patient for it grow.

Reaching the final page with nothing to help him in his cause, Rumpel swore under his breath and gently closed the book. Well, if he couldn't find an easy solution, he'd just have to go the hard way. Rumpel glanced at his watch and noted that it was almost time for Lacey to head to work. Turning Lacey back into Belle was his only chance. With her help, he had true love. And with true love he could do anything. Maybe getting her to fall back in love with him would bring her memory as well as get his magic back. He only hoped he was strong enough to fall in love once again.

He made his way out of the shop and crossed the street, choosing to lean nonchalantly against a building as he waited for her to make her way down the road. Soon enough, he heard the clicking of her heels and smiled as she neared. Lacey seemed to hesitate when she saw him, but she formed a polite smile and gave him a nod, fully intending to walk right past him.

"Wait, Lacey, please," Rumpel said, leaving his cane against the building so as not to frighten her, and hobbling a few steps after her.

She stopped and turned, looking at him piteously as he caught up to her. When he was close enough he studied her face again. Her hair was pulled up into a new style. It looked good. He liked it. But she was wearing too much makeup for his tastes. Either way, she was still beautiful. And while the look in her eyes wasn't love, it wasn't unkind either.

"Look, Mr. Gold," she said quietly, her hands shaking, "I'm sorry, I still don't remember—

"No, no, I know you don't," he said breathlessly, feeling his heart thundering in his chest. "I know, and I'm sorry for scaring you earlier. I…I want to make it up to you."

Lacey raised her eyebrows and he smiled. She smiled as well, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Let me treat you to dinner," he said. "You and I can chat and maybe you'll see some part of me that the old you used to see. Or maybe you won't. Either way, I'd like the chance to try and be with you again."

He seemed to be having trouble catching his breath around her, and he could hardly hear a thing outside of his own heartbeat. He felt hot and paused for a moment to wipe his hands on his shirt. His dark counterpart would be embarrassed of this sort of behavior in front of a simple woman. But Rumpel knew that Lacey was no simple woman. She was his everything, and the key to his happiness. He smiled at the memory of it all and watched as Lacey seemed to mull it over for a few moments.

"Alright," she said after a few moments. "Dinner sounds good. I'm off Sunday. We can meet at Granny's."

"Granny's," Rumpel repeated with an eager nod.

After a short discussion of details, Lacey turned and headed down the street. Rumpel watched her go, smiling. Just to hear her voice again, kind and sincere and directed at him was worth a lifetime of fighting for her. He had forgotten that. But now his love for her was back in full force, as was his hope in getting his magic back. He would have Belle, and his magic, and damn anyone who tried to get in his way.


	8. Chapter 8: Wrecking the Party

Wrecking the Party

By the time Henry's party rolled around everyone was eager for a little joviality. Emma had stayed with Regina for as long as the queen would allow, discussing everything from braces to universities for Henry. Eventually though, she began to run out of 'safe' topics and asked how Regina was feeling. She could tell by the queen's sudden exhale that she'd said the wrong thing and sure enough, she was soon being escorted, briskly but politely, to the front door. Regina had shut down any of her attempts to stay or at least to get someone to watch the house and had ended up—rightly so, in hindsight—shutting the door in Emma's face just to get her to shut up. But not before at least giving an eye rolling promise that she would call the sheriff the next time someone got just a bit too close to her house.

That was slightly comforting, but what was more comforting was the phone call she'd received from Ruby the next morning, telling her that her watch over the mayor's house had been uneventful and the queen didn't seem to notice her presence. With Emma over there yesterday and Ruby watching during the night, Regina should at least be safe until Henry's party, in which case Emma would be with her, and she would be safe. After that…well, Emma would have to figure out a long term plan to keep Regina out of harm's way and get justice for what was done to her. But she could worry about that later. Right now, her main priority was getting this ribbon to curl.

Emma held the brightly colored red and blue packaging in her hands, impressed at her wrapping job. All that remained was the stupid yellow bow on top, and its ribbons that seemed to be just as stubborn as Emma's hair of the same color. The ribbon was starting to wear thin from too many attempts with the scissors, and soon it would fray, effectively just ruining the whole damn thing. She let out a slow sigh, lifting her eyes to study the room.

Rumpel's shop had always been a bit eerie to her. Most of the time when she was in here she felt like something or someone was watching her. She'd often thought that it was the perfect place for a horror movie setting, what with its bizarre knick-knacks and dark, cold interior. But that was not the case today. Today, it actually looked like a happy little pawn shop with balloons and ribbons hanging from the corner, presents adorning the counters.

Rumpel, who was probably in the best mood of them all, for reasons he had no desire to say, was standing behind the counter, cane held in front of him, smiling like a buffoon. Neal and her father were in the process of hanging more streamers, chatting away about the old days without indoor plumbing. Henry was listening wide eyed between them, clutching his action figure to his chest.

Charming look tired, Emma noticed. And there was only really one explanation for it. Said explanation was sitting mutely in a chair just behind Emma, watching the shop's transformation with mild interest. She was getting better. Emma was grateful for that, but it was a damn slow process. Every now and then, if she looked carefully over, she could see Snow bring her hand to her chest, a mixture of relief and anguish spread across her face as she felt her own heart beating.

She was doing that more and more, and Emma forced herself to ignore it, taking the ribbon in her hand again and giving it a slow tug with the scissors. The ribbon fell flatly as she let it drop and Emma cursed under her breath. A hand was placed on her shoulder and Emma looked over to find that her mother had gotten up out of her chair. Snow pursed her lips into a shy smile, as if she'd forgotten how to, and took the scissors from her daughter's hand. It looked like she did exactly what Emma had, but when she let the ribbon drop it sprang back towards the bow in a tightly wound coil.

Emma smiled and looked over to her mother, who seemed surprised that she had done so well. There was still sadness there, still a bit of lifelessness that clung to the corners of Snow's eyes, but this was hopeful and Emma allowed herself to kiss Snow on the cheek in hopes that it would keep her from going back to that damn chair.

"I guess I'll let you finish this and I'll go finish up the cake," she said, pleased when her mother nodded and took another ribbon in her hand.

Shooting a glance at her father, who watched Snow with his mouth half open, half curled into his own smile, she made her way to the back of Rumpel's shop, where the cake was sitting. It was chocolate cake with chocolate icing, at Henry's request, and she re-read the words inscribed on the cake with red, white, and blue icing. She nodded when she confirmed for the fifth time that everything was spelled correctly and pulled the candles from their box, sticking them inside the cake.

"Can I help with the candles?" Henry asked from the doorframe, and Emma beckoned him over with a wave of her hand.

He stood in front of the cake and smiled proudly at it, as if his idea had produced the best cake ever made, and began placing candles all around it. When he got to the thirteenth candle Emma figured that he was going to use the entire box and she let him do so without concern. It was his birthday and he could do whatever he damn well pleased. A normally silent part of Emma's mind popped up, wishing that she could have had birthdays like this, and she quickly pushed it out of her mind, instead swiping at the chocolate frosting and sliding it into her mouth. It was good. This party was good. Everything was good.

Snow had just finished curling the last ribbon when Rumpel's shop chimed a visitor. Everyone looked up and watched as Regina stepped through the door, confidently at first, then slowing when she realized everyone's eyes upon her. Regina scanned the room quickly, finding no Henry or Emma and she felt her heart quicken pace. Though she did see Rumpel, looking rather smug, and she felt her stomach tighten. Snow, who was the closest to the queen, began backing away slowly, as if Regina were a lion about to pounce and Charming rounded the counter to catch her in his arms.

"What are you doing here?" he growled, holding his wife closely to him.

For an instant, Regina considered apologizing, or explaining the situation. It's what Emma would want. But was she even here? Was Henry? And they clearly didn't tell anyone she was coming. That would be a long explanation. But Charming was just so damn self-righteous. They both were. And it's not like they ever listened to her before, so why should they start now. So, Regina straightened her posture and cast her eyes over to Rumpel. "I could ask the same of _him_," she bit, feeling her anger rise when he just smiled at her, gesturing to Snow and Charming.

"He's family."

"He's also the Dark One. Tell me, when did you start giving out free passes?"

"He's never done anything to endanger Henry," Charming said, stepping closer.

"Neither have I," she growled, relishing guiltily at how the venom seeped so easily from between her teeth.

She looked to Snow, so weak from the woman she knew in Fairytale Land, quivering behind her husband's strong arms, her hands clutched to her chest. Neal looked torn between running away and staying, his eyes darting to Rumpel's back room. She supposed she couldn't blame him for that. Their last encounter here hadn't really been the best meeting.

Charming let out a sarcastic guffaw, flinging his hand out at her. "You poisoned—you know what," he said, pausing to shake his head and take a deep breath, "we're not going to get into this with you, Regina. Just…just go."

Regina blinked at his response, unsure if she'd heard him correctly. His dismissed her like she was some insolent child. Did they know that she had given up magic? Did they know what all she had sacrificed for Henry? Had Emma told them anything at all? Rage coursed through her, the magic piercing at the base of her skull, begging to be released. She clenched her fists together and could feel the power weaving through her fingertips. It would be so tempting to—

"Regina, you're here," Emma said happily as she stepped out from the back room, a large cake in her hands.

Henry poked his head out from behind her and waved his action figure at her. The rage dissipated, but anger still lingered, poking and prodding at her chest. Emma noticed the tension in the room and set the cake on the counter. Regina felt tears pressing against her eyes and she shot one final look to Emma, before she turned proudly towards the door, opened it gently, and stepped out. Emma glared over at Neal, who looked very much like a deer in the headlights, and he shook his head, pointing to her parents, who had turned around. Charming looked pleased with himself, if a bit guilty, and Snow looked a sickly shade of green of white.

Not bothering to wait for an explanation, Emma gave an aggravated groan and ran towards the door, chasing Regina across the street. She was walking briskly, and had made it to the end of the block, but her feet slowed when Emma called her name, and she turned, waiting as Emma neared her.

"Hey, where are you going?" the blonde asked, shooting her a smile, hoping it would ease the tension.

"What the hell was that?" Regina snapped, flinging her arm back towards the shop. "You led me into that like an animal for slaughter!"

Emma could see the redness of Regina's eyes, the slight quivering of her lips, and she held up her palms in pacification. "I was in the back room, Reg—

"You still weren't _there_," she hissed, the hurt in her voice seeping through Emma's veins. "You weren't there, but Rumpel was. And suddenly he's family now? Just how stupid are you people?" Regina was immensely proud that she was able to keep the 'what about me' from slipping between her lips. "And have you told your parents anything of what I've done since Snow…since mother died?"

"Of course I've told them! But you know how there are," Emma pleaded. She tried to touch Regina's arm but the queen quickly pulled it away, choosing to cross her arms over her chest.

"I know how they are," she said slowly, her voice slightly calmer than before. She took a deep breath and then pierced Emma's eyes with her own. "But do you? Did you even tell them I was coming?"

At the last question, Regina dropped her arms back at her sides in defeat, shaking her head as she looked down at the sidewalk. Emma felt sick to her stomach, but she shook her head anyway.

"I didn't. I didn't want to have to deal with their…whatever." It sounded so pathetic now that she was in front of Regina, who looked every bit as wounded as when her mother died.

"So, you let me deal with it." Regina scoffed and lifted her eyes to the sky, quickly wiping the single tear that managed to escape. "You let me walk right into that so you wouldn't have to have a chat with the two people who would love you no matter what. I hope it was worth it."

Emma physically winced at Regina's words, feeling her heart tighten up in her chest. It was hard to breathe and she felt almost like crying. Emma couldn't remember the last time she'd felt that strongly. She took another step towards Regina, and when the queen didn't withdraw, she reached out and grabbed both of her arms gently.

"Regina," she whispered, squeezing her hands to further her point. "I'm so sorry."

The brunette finally looked at her then, and Emma knew that the walls were back up as she shrugged off Emma's hands. "Being sorry doesn't account for much in this world, sheriff."

Back inside the shop, Henry was frowning at his grandparents.

"What did you say to her?" he asked, setting his action figure on the counter and placing his hands on his hips. It was a strange mannerism for a boy, and one he must have gotten from Regina, and it made it all the more difficult for Charming to answer his question in an even tone.

"Henry, we just wanted your party to be perfect. Regina has a way of…" he paused, wincing as he tried to think of the appropriate word, "ruining moments like these."

"You told her to leave?" he asked, and Snow recognized that look as one that the boy used to give Regina when she'd used her magic for evil.

She gave a small whimper and pressed herself further into Charming's side, clutching at her chest.

"But Emma and I invited her. This is a family party and she's my _mom_!" he shouted, as if it was as simple as that. He looked back and forth between his grandparents again and gave a resigned sigh. They watched as his eyes fell, sadness sinking into the corners of his mouth. When he looked up at them again, it was much more forgiving. "What did she do?"

"Huh?" was Charming's eloquent response.

"What did she do?" Henry repeated, inclining his head forward. "What did she do this time?"

Both of his grandparents were silent as they tried to understand what the boy was saying. When it finally registered that he assumed Regina had done something wrong, like she'd always done, they both looked to the floor. Rumpel appeared to have nothing to offer, shaking his head at the boy. Finally, it was Neal who spoke, and he put a hand on his son's shoulder, shrugging his own.

"She just walked in, Henry. That's all she did."

Henry looked up at his father, and then turned back to his grandparents. "So you punished her for doing nothing wrong?"

When they had nothing to say, he gave the same exasperated groan that Emma had and raced out the door and across the street.

He didn't see the car.

But everyone heard the sounds. The horn, the screeching tires, and the sound of a body hitting metal.

Rumpel looked out the window, amazed that the boy could repeat such a stupid action, when he saw her on the ground. His entire body clenched, his heart plummeting to the pit of his stomach and beating erratically there. His cane dropped to the floor, pain forgotten as he ran out the door and into the street, where a small crowd was already gathering.

Henry was already to his feet, staring wide eyed at the scene in front of him. Lacey lay in a crumpled heap on the road, blood dripping from the center of her sleazy uniform and her head. Rumpel fell before her, cradling her in his arms, uncaring of who saw as the tears ran down his face. Gently, he tilted her head back, so that he could see her eyes. She was still alive, her eyes opening and closing slowly. He ran his hand over her body, and nothing happened. He tried again and again, his movements becoming more erratic until he slammed his fist on the asphalt, letting out a scream of anguish.

She couldn't die. Not here. Not like this. They were so close. So close to making everything perfect again. He was nothing without her. Lacey focused on him for a moment and smiled. He tried to ignore the blood that was painted across her teeth.

"How's the boy?" she croaked, attempting to look around.

Rumpel hushed her softly and brought her head to his chest, rocking her back and forth as his eyes scanned the crowd. He felt Lacey's breathing slowing and he pulled her back to look deeply into her eyes, for what might be the final time.

"I love you, Belle," he said quietly, his voice quaking with sobs.

She smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes before she fell limp in his grasp. Rumpel began to shake, moving her gently in his arms to wake her again. When that didn't work he pulled her tightly to him and shouted Regina's name into the crowd.

At the sound of the horn Regina looked past Emma's blonde head, and could only see Henry and someone else on the ground in the middle of the street. She grabbed Emma's arm in an iron fist and ran them both back to the street. When they'd finally made it back to the end of the block, Henry was standing, and Regina raced over to him, scooping him up in her arms and holding him tightly. She felt Emma's arm around her back as she hugged him as well, and allowed the tears to fall from her eyes.

But Henry was quickly shaking them both off, shouting incoherently. Regina and Emma both looked at each other until they heard Rumpel's pained cry for Regina. The queen turned immediately, the crowd parting for her as she ran over, gasping when she saw the sight on the ground. Rumpel was sitting in the street, his back leaned up against the car, clutching Lacey to him. When he saw her, his eyes widened in hope and he let Lacey fall into his lap.

"Heal her! Hurry!" he shouted, mania tinting his voice just a bit.

But she was already gone. Regina knew it just as well as he did, and she slowly stepped forward, crouching in front of him. "She's already gone," she said softly, and Rumpel shook his head violently, rage replacing his sadness.

"I don't care about your stupid promise to the boy, heal her!"

Regina shot up then, ignoring the glares of the crowd. "She's dead," she said simply.

And she was prepared to leave it at that until she saw Emma out of the corner of her eye, hugging Henry close to her. It was then that her voice softened, and she offered a quiet, "I'm sorry."

"Like hell you are!" Rumpel shouted, still rocking Lacey back and forth, the blood seeping through his shirt and into his chest. "You knew she was hurt. You knew she was down on the ground and you ran to him instead!" he flung a finger at Henry, who buried his face into Emma's stomach.

"You wanted her to die! And you used your stupid 'no magic' promise to do it! Everyone knows who you are, Regina, and you'll never change."

The crowd had started to murmur, and they were creeping that much closer to Regina. Emma quickly handed her son over to Neal and stood next to Regina, placing a hand on her arm again. She could feel the queen shaking ever so slightly, and she gave her arm a reassuring squeeze as she addressed the crowd.

"Look, everybody get back, okay? We've got an ambulance on the way, and we need to clear the street."

They obeyed, robotically taking step after step away from the accident. But some of the glares lingered on Regina, unblinking and filled with promises. Rumpel's words were still ringing through her head as Emma passed her on to someone, she didn't know who, who kept their hand on her, as if she was going to run away. The sheriff worked on clearing the crowd until the ambulance arrived, and their slow, tender movements in handling Lacey only furthered the knowledge that she was beyond help. Emma had managed to get Rumpel to stand, but as soon as he was up he climbed into the back of the ambulance, taking Lacey's hand and bringing it to his lips as they drove away.


	9. Chapter 9: The Aftermath

The Aftermath

Belle was dead.

Rumpel sat in the hospital chair, trying to stop his body from shaking. So far it had been to no avail. The words kept repeating in his mind, and each time he slipped farther out of denial and further into grief. The woman he loved was dead. She was gone forever. Everything that was good in him, no matter how small, she had shown him. And he had failed her; he let her die.

The cane fell from his hands and he let it slap against the tile as he held his head in his hands. When had he become so weak? Before his loss of magic Rumpel would have been able to snap his fingers and bring Belle back. It would have played to his advantage this time. Lacey surely would have been impressed by his heroics and falling in love with him would have been…just as easy as it had been the first time. A tear escaped Rumpel's eye at the thought and he was quick to wipe it away, disgusted.

Footsteps approached and Rumpel looked up to meet whoever it was. He left the cane on the floor, figuring it would be a sign of weakness if he picked it up. Dr. Whale stood before him, looking surprisingly morose. Rumpel wondered if it was sincere or if it was a habit he picked up from his stint at playing a doctor. Either way, his sympathy was unwanted, and unneeded.

"We've…cleaned her up," Dr. Whale began slowly as he regarded the Dark One, who stood without his cane. "I'm sorry more couldn't be done."

"Well, I guess you're not going to stop me from seeing her now, are you?" Rumpel said slowly, enunciating every guilt-ridden word and watching them sink under the doctor's skin. It was mild consolation, seeing someone pay for this, and he held onto that image as he swept past Whale and made his way into the room.

Once inside, alone and with the door closed, Rumpel allowed his frame to crumple, and he hobbled over to Belle's side. She looked almost angelic, pale and pure with her auburn hair swept about her head as if she'd been dreaming. It would have been beautiful, if not for the gash across her forehead. It had been cleaned up, but it was still deep, and it was still there, a vivid reminder of what he'd lost and would never get back. Rumpel shuddered to think what kind of injuries rested below the white sheet and he fought back the urge to vomit.

He didn't want to remember Belle like this. He wanted to remember her as the beautiful, vibrant woman that had fallen in love with a beast of a man. This wasn't her. This was reality. Cold, cruel reality, laughing at him from the corners of the room. He reached out tentatively, and swept her hair across her forehead, covering the gash. She looked truly angelic now, and he mustered a soft smile as he bent down to kiss her gently on the cheek.

Nothing happened. He knew it wouldn't, and yet he allowed himself to hope. He truly loved her, and Belle truly loved him, but this wasn't Belle. This was Lacey. And Lacey hadn't even had one date with him. Yet another thing that had been taken away from him.

Anger crept into the back of Rumpel's mind. He was never strong enough. He wasn't strong enough for Milah. He wasn't strong enough for Bae, and now Belle, too, had paid the price for his weakness.

Never again.

He reached out again to stroke Belle's soft hair, remembering how it used to tickle his jawline when they were close. It used to annoy him. He would give anything to have it back. But that wasn't an option. So he'd have to do what he did best: get even.

He let his hand drop from Belle's face and clenched it into a fist. Regina was the only competent magical being in Storybrooke. The only one who could have saved Belle. And she had done nothing. She had run right past his dying lover. The thought cut coldly through his chest and he allowed a choked sob to escape his lips.

Regina had taken away his last chance of happiness. There would never be another Belle. He had to ensure the same fate came of Regina. She'd already lost her precious stable boy. The only person that mattered to her now was the boy. He had to get to Henry.

A memory sparked at the back of his mind: A woman with fire red hair was lying on the ground, in leaves of the same color. Her eyes were gone, a once beautiful face marred with sickly and imprecise stitches. She was convulsing violently on the ground, her hands, which held her eyes, grasping for purchase. She had told him, in her dying vision, that the boy that led him to his son would be his undoing.

Rumpel remembered it vividly, like so much else. He'd been so arrogant then, and rightly so. The boy would be dealt with easily enough, and he thought nothing more of it at the time. He was the most powerful magical being in the land. But he was no longer in his land, nor did he have his magic. He'd known of Henry's role in his life as soon as he'd met his son in New York. But now, faced with the tempting allure of sweet revenge, he could only smile as he thought of ways to kill Henry. It would be his undoing, yes. How it would come about, Rumpel didn't know. But as he stared down at his sleeping beauty, he silently hoped that it would be death.

With one final kiss to her temple, Rumpel turned and headed out the door. There were others in the waiting room now, others who wanted to say their goodbyes to a beloved woman, and they looked up at him with sympathetic eyes that made him sick. Nevertheless he managed what he hoped was a grateful smile, leaving their eyes to search for his forgotten cane.

Someone cleared their throat to his right and Rumpel glanced over, finding his son. Neal stood with his head hanging low in that strange submission state he always possessed, the cane held in the both of his hands. He held it out to his father and opened his mouth as if to say something, but Rumpel didn't give him the chance. Instead, he took his cane and began to hobble down the hallway, confident that his son would follow. Whatever conversation they were about to have, it was probably nothing that the people of Storybrooke needed to be privy to.

As predicted, Neal did follow him down the hallway, shoving his hands into his pockets when Rumpel stopped. The Dark One said nothing, leaning against a wall and regarding his son with a neutral expression that he knew would make him squirm. And Neal did, clearing his throat again and looking back and forth down the hallway.

"Look, I…I'm really sorry about…" he drifted, meeting his father's eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Rumpel allowed a single scoff to escape his throat. "Come to placate me again, son? Forgive me when I say that I don't really feel the sincerity."

Neal's brow furrowed in anger. "Hey, I'm trying to—

"Are you? Are you trying? You only come around when you're forced or when some sort of tragedy plagues me. Well, I don't have the time for it."

He paused then and gave Neal a disappointed glare. It made his son shrivel up in the same way he had when he was ten years old, but Rumpel quickly let that memory go.

"I've just lost someone. Someone who loved me for _everything_ that I am. Please, leave me be."

He turned then and continued down the hallway. Eventually he heard his son's footsteps, but they only faded as father and son walked away from each other.

0-0-0-0-0

The crowd had finally cleared, the mess cleaned up, the car towed. The final process was to wash the blood from the street. Emma held the hose in her shaking hands, spraying it against the asphalt and watching stream of water as it flowed into the gutter and away from her. She'd taken all the notes and pictures and testimonies that she needed to. All that was left was the paperwork. But she could work on that later.

She glanced over to the curb as she looped the hose around her arm, watching as Regina spoke to her son. They were both sitting on the curb- an odd sight from the immaculately dressed woman—their knees touching as she spoke to him in hushed tones. Henry was resting his chin on his knees, his arms wrapped around his legs, watching the trickle of the water roll away down the street. Occasionally he would nod, and as Emma headed over, she could have sworn she saw the slightest of smiles touch the corner of his mouth. They both looked up when she neared, and Regina shot up, straightening her blazer.

She looked tired, Emma noted, weak and guilt ridden. But she was certain that the entire town shared that same expression and she offered a weak smile to the queen, who did not return it. She looked down at Henry, then back at Emma, exhaling slowly.

"Well, if there's nothing else you need, Sheriff, I'll be heading home."

Emma's eyebrows rose at the name she'd been given, but she shook her head, looking down at Henry and stroking his head. Emma's parents were nearby, holding onto each other as they always did. Snow looked worse for the wear and Charming, for once, was unreadable.

"I'll walk you home," she said, looking over to her parents, who nodded obediently and approached Henry. If they had any qualms about her walking the evil queen home, they didn't show them, and Emma was thankful for that.

Regina said nothing in response but merely took off down the street. Emma followed, quickening her pace until she caught up with the brunette. Regina didn't acknowledge her presence and Emma decided to let her be. Everyone mourned in different ways and far be it from her to tell someone how to feel.

Emma, personally, felt exhausted. She didn't know Belle as well as she should have, but from their brief encounters, she was a charming, lovely young woman. And she did seem to love Rumpel, unless there was some sort of 'forced love' magic that Emma didn't know about. No one deserved that kind of fate. But at the same time, Emma was thankful that it was Belle who had died. If she hadn't pushed Henry out of the way…. She shook her head to clear the thought from her mind. The 'what-ifs' didn't matter now. Henry was safe and alive. But so help her God she was going to buy a leash for that kid.

Emma glanced over at the queen, walking tall as always, but with a slower pace than normal. The walls were up, and she could see nothing behind those dark eyes. She wondered if Regina was feeling the same way, grateful that Belle had been there to take Henry's place. Was she cruel to think that? Every mother thought that, right? Emma opened her mouth to voice her concerns but decided against it. Regina was probably feeling worse than she was. Because Regina could have actually done something about it all. No, that wasn't fair. She was concerned for her son. No one could blame the queen for that, no matter how evil they presumed her to be.

They reached the house just as silently as they had started and Regina placed her key into the door, unlocking it. Before she opened the door, however, she turned to Emma, looking at her for the first time.

"Ruby was a good friend of Belle's. Kindly don't have her watch over my house for the next couple of nights."

Emma's mouth opened as her eyes widened. "You…you knew about that?"

"I did."

There was no sarcasm or even a hint of 'I told you so' in her voice, and that caused Emma to worry. Just how broken up was Regina over this?

"Well, someone's got to make sure you're okay, Regina," she said instead.

Regina shook her head. "No. Belle's death will no doubt take a toll on this town. Everyone needs time to mourn. Don't burden them with me."

"But—

"Emma," Regina said finally, causing the blonde to close her mouth obediently. "Please respect my wishes, for once."

Regina was being far too calm, far too polite. She was definitely upset about this. A part of Emma wanted to ask after her, but the other part, the more rational part, knew that this death was sudden, and tragic, and they all needed time to sort it out. So she gave a pouty nod and Regina gave a ridiculously fake polite smile before reaching for the door. Emma turned to go once she heard the latch give, but was stopped as Regina called her again.

When Emma turned around, she saw that a few of the walls had come down. There was intensity in her eyes, but also compassion, and Emma felt drawn to them as she neared the queen again. Regina opened her mouth to speak, but closed it quickly, attempting to maintain her composure.

"Please make sure that Henry knows this wasn't his fault," she said finally, her voice only quivering at the end.

Emma gave a knowing nod, and stepped even closer, wrapping her arms around the brunette and holding her. Regina stiffened, but did not pull away and it reminded Emma all too well of the last time she had embraced the queen like this. Pressing her lips into a smile, Emma turned her head to the crook of Regina's neck.

"It's not your fault either," she said softly, pulling away. "Okay?" she asked once she could see Regina's eyes again.

Regina appeared slightly flustered by the hug but managed a weak nod. Without another word she turned and headed into the house. Emma heard the sound of the lock snapping into place and turned to make her way back to her home. She didn't like leaving Regina home by herself, but she had to respect her wishes. At least for one night.


	10. Chapter 10: Sense of Security

Sense of Security

Emma sighed as she examined her outfit in the mirror. She looked good in black, normally, but today the color seemed to hang on her in all the wrong ways. But, she supposed, the way she looked didn't really matter. This day was about paying their respects to Belle. She was to be buried today. Emma sighed again and shrugged into the mirror. This would simply have to do.

In an attempt to escape her own mind, Emma brought her thoughts back to Regina. The woman could probably make a burlap sack look good, and it used to frustrate the blonde to no end. How could every single outfit hug her perfectly and make her look regal and perfect and…everything? But now, Emma had come to be grateful for the sight. Seeing Regina taking care of herself, as well as being unharmed, was slowly taking over Emma's priorities.

Belle had died three days ago. And for three days, Regina's house went unwatched during the night. Emma hadn't slept the first night, and had in fact gotten up at five in the morning to get dressed and drive down to the house. Despite her reservations, it had looked untouched. But that didn't stop Emma from climbing out of her cruiser (which was a lot quieter than her bug) and snooping around the house. Everything looked in place and upon trying the door, she was satisfied to find it locked. But even then, that didn't stop her from waiting outside until seven, when she'd seen the queen's bedroom light on an hour before, and knocking on the door.

Regina had answered, looking cranky—understandable, Emma knew—but she looked fine besides. In a force of habit, Regina began to open the door wider to let her in, and Emma made to walk through it. They both stopped, however, before the task could be done, the sudden realization hitting them that this had become so normal. Regina didn't look as upset as Emma thought she would have at this situation. In fact, she looked apathetic towards it all, staring up at Emma and waiting for her to make the next move.

Emma wanted to come inside. She wanted to have coffee with Regina and talk about all of this. But that was selfish of her. Regina didn't look to be in the mood to entertain her, or anyone, at the moment. The rings around her eyes had returned, and her hair, while washed, still looked lifeless. Just how much death and heartache could someone take before it consumed them? However much it was, Regina looked close to the limit.

With a resigned sigh, Emma took a step back, and Regina allowed the door to fall back against her shoulder as she leaned against the doorframe. The blonde pursed her lips into a short smile and nodded at the queen.

"Just making sure you were alright," she said awkwardly, rising onto the toes of her boots and back down.

"Are you satisfied?" Regina asked simply.

Emma nodded, then looked past her into the foyer. It looked untouched. "Are you always up this early?"

"Yes."

It was simple. Everything was simple. Not even a hint of sarcasm or annoyance.

Emma clenched her fists to keep from barging into the house and confronting Regina about whatever the hell was going on with her. A part of Regina's eyes almost seemed to hint at wanting just that, but she couldn't be sure. So she sighed and gave a single nod.

"Okay, I'll be coming over every morning at seven. All you have to do is open the door."

That seemed to get a reaction out of her and Emma forced her smile back as she watched Regina lift a sculpted eyebrow.

"And what if I don't?" she challenged weakly, as if she were doing out of habit rather than enjoyment.

"Then I'll break the door down and find you."

"So violent, Sheriff."

The name cut Emma deeper than it should have, and she shoved her hands in her pockets, trying to see behind those brown eyes, but finding nothing. Regina was the most infuriating person she'd ever met. This wasn't exactly breaking news, but sometimes she just had to take a step back and reaffirm it. It helped to rationalize her thoughts. Helped her to keep focus on the task at hand, not the 'what-ifs' that she so dearly hated.

"I've been demoted back to 'Sheriff,' huh?" Emma asked, unable to keep the sadness from tinting her voice.

"So it would seem," Regina answered as stone-faced as ever.

Emma opened her mouth to retaliate, but decided she didn't have the desire to this morning. Regina hadn't been hurt, and that was the only reason she'd shown up this morning. Her job was done. She turned to go, feeling Regina's eyes on her as she left, and called over her shoulder.

"If that's the price to pay for keeping you safe. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

And Emma had so far kept her word. For the past three days, and including this morning, Emma had knocked on Regina's door precisely at seven after doing a walk around the house. And so far, Regina had answered the door, no worse for the wear, physically. Emotionally, Emma had no idea what was going on there. Never once had she invited herself in for coffee and never once did Regina offer. They'd reverted back so far so quickly. Emma felt a pain in her chest at the thought of going back to being arch rivals. Hell, even the thought of being acquaintances bothered her. They'd had so much before…she didn't want to lose it. And she wouldn't lose it.

Emma steeled herself in the mirror, deciding the black pant suit she'd chosen did indeed look quite good on her. After the funeral, she would go back to Regina's. She would barge down that door, make them both coffee, or drinks, whichever the situation called for, and they would talk about this. Regina needed it just as much as the blonde did, Emma was sure of it. At least, it was what she hoped. It would make this plan a little easier to swallow if that was the case.

There was a shuffling by her bedroom door, and Emma saw her son in the mirror, hanging against the door frame, eyes cast downward to his socked feet. He looked so grown up in his dark suit, almost filling out the padded shoulders on his own, and she smiled sadly.

"Hey kid," she offered.

He raised his head and met her eyes in the mirror, giving a weak smile before trudging over to her bed and sitting on the edge. Regina's words echoed in Emma's mind to make sure Henry knew he wasn't at fault for Belle's death. Emma had taken those words to heart. The same night of the tragedy she had sat down with him and her parents in the dining room, over hot chocolate, and talked about it. She thought that whatever Regina said to him, coupled with that, that he would start to feel less guilty. Seeing him now, and remembering how he had acted the past few days, she was sure he still wasn't okay.

Emma sat next to him and bumped him lightly with her shoulder. He allowed it but made no other reaction and she sighed, trying to meet his eyes. But they were still focused on the floor. She reached up and tried to smooth out his hair.

"What's going on, Henry?" she asked as she tried to pat down a cowlick.

He shrugged, sniffling.

"Same shit different day, huh?"

Henry's eyes widened at her language but eventually he nodded. "I just don't get it," he said softly.

"Don't get what?"

"Rumpel loved Belle. And Belle loved him. He should have been able to heal her."

Henry was speaking out of guilt. Emma knew that, and yet she heard something entirely different. Rumpel should have been able to heal Belle. She'd been so caught up in the accident that she didn't even realize that at the time. Her hands grew cold and she rubbed them together as she tried to pick up the pieces. Had Rumpel somehow lost his magic? She'd assumed that when he was without it before that he was simply too weak from the poison to perform any. Had that been a ruse? Did leaving Storybrooke cause it? What—

"Emma?" Henry asked, breaking the blonde from her thoughts.

Emma looked down at her son and smiled, pushing her suspicions to the back of her mind. Henry needed her now. Once she was sure he was going to pull through, she could think about other things. Regina would know how to deal with this. Hell, ten minutes after the accident and she had the kid cracking a smile. But Regina wasn't here, a fact that made Emma feel all too alone.

"You still feel guilty, don't you?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Henry, I can tell you it's not your fault until I'm blue in the face. And even if I mean it with all my heart, it won't make any difference if you don't believe it."

He nodded again and she couldn't be sure if he really understood or if he was just placating her. Nevertheless, she continued on. Taking him by his arm, Emma put a finger to her lips and led him to the top of the spiral stairs, where they peered down into the loft. Charming was in the kitchen, also in a suit, preparing tea. Snow sat on the couch, clad all in black and looking half dead as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her. It was a sight that made Emma's stomach turn and looking down at Henry, she could tell it made him uncomfortable too. Once she was sure he'd gotten a good eyeful, she led him back into her bedroom and shut the door.

"What do you think of your grandmother's behavior?" she asked as he resumed his position on her bed.

He looked up at her and frowned in confusion. She nodded and pointed to her bedroom door.

"Do you like the way Snow's been acting lately?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because she's always sad, and it makes others sad."

"Why does it make you sad?"

"Because there's nothing anyone can do about it."

Emma smiled as the realization slowly dawned on his features. And she sat down next to him. "Exactly, kid. There's nothing we can do about it. I'm not saying you can't be sad and you can't miss her, but you can't change the past."

Henry shook his head, his internal struggle evident as he locked his feet at the ankles and played with his hands. He looked less grown up now and more the ten year old that he was and Emma smiled softly at him again.

"But you can say that because you didn't actually kill anyone."

"Hey," Emma said sharply, causing Henry to look up nervously at her. "You didn't _kill_ anyone."

"I—

"Henry," she interrupted, surprised at the motherly tone in her voice. "You didn't force Belle…Lacey to save you. If you had, then it would be your fault. But she made her choice. And her choice was to save you. How do you think she would feel knowing that you spent the life she gave you feeling sorry for yourself?"

Henry's hazel eyes started to redden, and fill slowly with tears, and Emma pulled him to her, feeling him wrap his arms around her. Tears came to her own eyes and she blinked them back as she kissed the top of his head, rocking him back and forth. After a few minutes, his sobbing slowed, and he pulled away, hiccupping as his chest heaved every now and then.

"I still miss her," he said.

"Me too, kid. We probably always will. And that's okay."

Henry nodded, giving her a small, but sincere smile. Emma felt a great weight lift from her shoulders and she stood, pulling Henry off of the bed and clapping her arms over his shoulders. "We'll get through this. We always do."

Her son nodded again and she opened the door, allowing him to lead the way down the stairs.

0-0-0-0-0

Much like everything in Storybrooke, the funeral was unconventional. It was not held at a church, but instead, the library. The bookshelves had all been moved against the walls but even still there was very little room to accommodate all those who had come to pay their respects to Belle. Though she had died as Lacey, Rumpel had stated that he wanted to remember her as Belle, and everyone seemed to want the same.

Emma had found a spot near the front, and was able to lean against a bookcase as she fanned herself. People were pressed toe to toe and even with the air conditioning the room was stifling hot. This place wasn't meant to hold so many people and it was surely a fire hazard. But Emma thought it best to let it slide for now. Her eyes scanned the room, surprised that there were so many people she didn't know. The town was much bigger than it let on. When Emma had first learned of the curse, she didn't consider the vastness of it. It had transported an entire land. Snow White and Prince Charming, but also sheep farmers, peasants, milkmaids. And they were all here now, somehow every one of them knowing Belle in their own way.

Emma, regrettably, didn't know the woman as well as she probably should have. She'd seen her a few times and they'd even spoken, but she wouldn't call themselves more than acquaintances. She supposed she did have a sort of delusional view of the woman that came from the fairy tales. Belle was brave, bold, loving and compassionate in her mind. Whether that was true or not, Emma supposed she would never know. But if the sadness that hung over the crowd was any clue, her colorings of Belle may not have been far off.

The crowd hushed when the tapping of a cane was heard. Emma looked over to find Rumpel making his way to makeshift podium in the back of the library. The casket was behind him, simple but elegant and beautiful, and he seemed intent on not letting his eyes fall on it as he stood and faced the crown, bringing his cane in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, clearing his throat. A few more moments passed, and he finally found his voice.

"This was Belle's favorite place," he began, his eyes scanning over the piles and piles of books, avoiding the crowd. "She loved to read. She loved to lose herself in other people and other worlds. I used to wonder why she'd ever want to imagine being anyone else, because she was perfect just as she was." His voice cracked a bit and he licked his lips. The heat of the library was getting to him. He was feeling lightheaded, and the bright lights of the library did nothing to ease that. Taking a deep breath, he put more weight on his cane and continued.

"But, as I grew to know her, to love her, I realized that she wasn't becoming those people she read about. She was finding herself through them. All of these characters…these, fairy tales—

There was a slight chuckle from the audience at that, and he felt himself smiling as well.

"They were a way for her to find out who she truly was. What would she do in this situation, or that, and how did that differ from the protagonist. It seemed exhausting to think about. But in the end, because of her reading, she emerged a beautiful, strong woman, who could see the good in any beast."

Tears escaped Rumpel's eyes, and he let them fall, looking into the crowd for the first time and letting them see him at his weakest, his most vulnerable. "She always said, that I was the greatest adventure she would ever have. I…I never thought I was good enough for her. But now that she's gone, I've realized that it wasn't about being good enough. I loved her. I loved her with everything that I am. And that was enough for her. That was all that mattered. And I'll never get the chance to prove it to her now."

He looked down then. He hadn't meant to end it on a sour note. This was about Belle's life, not his shortcomings. But it was too late to take it back now. And with that, he lifted his head and gave a weary smile to the crowd, hobbling off and allowing the next person to take his place. Emma watched him as he sat next to Belle's casket, placing a hand on it as tenderly as if it was her own cheek. The sight made her look away, and she forced herself to focus on Ruby, who was now standing in front of the crowd.

By the time everyone who wanted to had spoken, two hours had passed. Emma was certain she was about to pass out from heat stroke and judging by the reddened and sweating faces of the crowd, she wasn't alone in that regard. Rumpel stood, and six men—including Charming—made their way over to the casket, lifting it upon their shoulders. The crowd filed out quickly, eager to get out into the cool afternoon wind, and parted to allow the casket to lead the way to the cemetery. Being at the front before, Emma was now at the back and she breathed a sigh of relief as the wind chilled her sweat.

A hand touched her arm and Emma looked over to find Ruby. She was dressed all in black, but still had her fiery red lipstick on. Her mascara was a little smudged and her cheeks were red, but whether from the heat or the crying Emma couldn't be sure. She smiled at the brunette and Ruby returned it, however bittersweet it was.

"Emma, I just wanted to thank you for the time off the past few days. I certainly needed it."

"Oh, absolutely, Ruby," Emma answered, before she felt guilt enter the pit of her stomach. "Actually, it was Regina who brought it to my attention."

Ruby raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised, and tugged her jacket tighter around her. "Is she here then? I suppose I need to thank her as well."

Emma could tell by her tone of voice that Ruby had no intention of thanking Regina, but she respected the politeness of the request and answered her anyway. "No, I don't think she came today."

"Hmm," the brunette responded simply. "She must be the only one. The whole damn town is here."

Emma turned to nod, but stopped as she felt a cold dread creep up her spine. Regina was alone, and the entire town was participating in an alibi. Emma cursed under her breath and Ruby touched her shoulder again.

"Emma? You okay?"

Emma's heart was pounding so loudly in her ears that she hardly heard the question. But she knew she had Ruby's attention so she pulled her closer, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Don't draw attention to yourself, but I need you to scan the crowd for anyone who's not here. Come to the station after the funeral."

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" Ruby asked, lifting her head and already beginning to search the crowd a few feet ahead of them.

"We'll see at the station. Just do what I say and remember, be subtle."

Ruby nodded and Emma wasted no time in racing to her cruiser and speeding down the street.

She couldn't see the house from the street. Those stupid wall shrubs were in the way. Emma cursed again as she pulled into the driveway, nearly hitting Regina's Benz in the process. Not that hitting it would have caused any more damage to it. The front windshield had been busted through, along with all of the lights and mirrors. Emma looked quickly to the front door and saw that it was ajar.

Emma's instincts told her to race out of the car and into the house. But her training as a bounty hunter and stand-in police officer reminded her to keep her cool, and she reached for the gun in her glove box, checking her rounds and flipping the safety off. She had a full clip. Taking a deep breath, Emma exited the car silently and crept up to the front door.

There was a scuffed boot mark next to the latch, and wood splinters littered the floor. Using the toe of her shoe, she pushed the door open all the way and peered inside. Everything was silent. But the house was trashed. Almost every railing on the banister was broken, and it looked like someone had taken a bat to the kitchen and a chainsaw to the living room. The word 'EVIL' had been spray painted into the foyer hallway. Rage boiled inside of Emma and she stepped carefully inside, checking the living room and kitchen and finding them empty as well.

Fresh sweat was beading against her brow and she watched her footing as she crept down the hall towards the study, careful not to step on anything that could make a sound. The door to the study was open, and while it too was trashed, Regina was not in it. For a moment, Emma panicked, wondering if Regina was still in the house, or if they had taken her. She forced that thought to the back of her mind, forced herself to remain focused, as she slowly crept up the stairs.

The pictures were all knocked off of the walls, glass littering the floor, and she swept them to the side. Much to her surprise, Henry's room was untouched. Regina had mentioned that her attackers had no interest in him, but to show that much decency while doing…this, made her stomach turn. She paid no mind to the other guest bedroom and instead made her way to the master bedroom, where again the door was ajar. However, unlike the study, this one had been kicked in. Regina had run to her bedroom to hide, had even locked the door, and they kicked it in. She must have been so afraid. Emma retched at the thought and stepped inside the room. Everything was shattered here, and other than to make sure Regina wasn't in it, Emma couldn't look at the bed. She didn't want to let her thoughts travel that far. Not if she wanted to get through this. There was a shuffling to her left and Emma turned and pointed the gun.

Regina was leaning up against the wall, next to her bed. Emma first noticed that her clothes, while ripped, were still intact and she exhaled the breath she'd been holding, feeling her chest heave as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

"Regina," she hissed as she neared the bathroom. "Are they still here?"

There were a few beats of silence, but finally she heard Regina's broken voice croak that they were gone. Emma put the safety on the gun and stuck it in the waistband of her pants. Then, finally allowing her emotions to take over, she ran over to the queen and fell in front of her. She wanted to look away at what she saw, but she couldn't. So instead, she stared and allowed the rage and sadness to consume her, uncaring as the tears poured from her eyes.

The entirety of Regina's face was swollen, bruising. Impressions of a hand were defined around her neck and blood trickled from all three splits on her bottom lip. Her hands were swollen too, scratched from whatever fight she had put up. Emma didn't want to imagine what the rest of her body looked like.

"Oh my god…Regina," was all Emma could say, her voice cracking as her hand hovered between them, torn between touching or not.

"A god? Hardly," Regina said weakly, opening her eyes as much as she could to focus on the blonde. "You look terrible, Sheriff."

"That's not funny," Emma bit back, clenching her fist and bringing it to press painfully to her forehead. "Who did this to you?"

"Someone who's clearly not a fan of my work."

"Goddammit, Regina, this isn't funny! You're hurt!"

"It doesn't hurt anymore," Regina said, the sarcasm leaving her voice.

"Did you see who did this to you?"

"No, they were wearing masks. They didn't speak."

Emma turned and punched the wall in her anger, stopping when she saw Regina flinch at her motion. Taking a deep breath, Emma shook her head, tentatively placing a hand on Regina's knee.

"I never should have left you alone," she murmured, listening as the queen scoffed.

"I can take care of myself," she retorted, with that same regal air of confidence.

"Then why didn't you?" Emma shouted, watching as the queen jumped again at the sound but otherwise seemed unperturbed. "Why didn't you stop them? Why didn't you call me? Why didn't…" she drifted, closing her eyes to try and control her crying.

Fingers ghosted across her cheek, wiping her tears. But by the time Emma opened her eyes, they were gone, and Regina was staring out the window. "I made a promise to Henry."

"That's bullshit. You know he wouldn't want this. And don't you dare presume to make him feel guilty about this too."

That seemed to strike a nerve with the queen, who lowered her head to stare at the floor. "Then perhaps…I simply didn't want to stop them."

Emma's head inclined to the side as she regarded the brunette. Her chest was aching at what she was hearing. She wanted to throw something, to kill someone, and throw herself at Regina's feet. "What are you talking about?" she whispered.

Regina's eyes met her then, and the defiance in them almost caused Emma to retreat.

"Miss Swan, it's certainly indicative of the Savior to assume everyone is good and kind. But sometimes that's just not true."

"Regina, you're—

"The Evil Queen," she interrupted, hissing as she straightened as best as she could. "I am the Evil Queen. I have killed more people than you will ever know and ruined the lives of countless others. Don't tell me I don't deserve this."

"You don't."

Regina growled in frustration then and sent a limp kick towards Emma. "You know nothing. Just as stupid and naïve as your parents."

"Then enlighten me," Emma implored. Seeing Regina losing her cool caused her to regain some of her own and she placed her hand back on the queen's knee, giving it a squeeze. "What's going on, Regina?"

Regina took a deep breath and let her head fall to the side, closing her eyes. She looked dead, and Emma had to remind herself that she wasn't. That, for now, she was safe. A strangely comfortable silence passed between them before the queen finally spoke, her voice softer than Emma had ever heard.

"I saw Belle," was she said.

Emma frowned and leaned a little closer. "You saw her?"

"On the ground…after the wreck. I saw her there. And I left her there."

She looked up to meet Emma's eyes again, her mouth clenching to keep her tears at bay.

"I knew she was hurt, and I understood that Henry was upright, but I ran to him anyway. I'm just as selfish with magic as I am without."

"Regina," Emma breathed, shaking her head. "No one blames you for running to your son. I did the same thing."

The queen's eyes were looking past Emma, through her, lost in her own thoughts. Her head was pounding, and black spots were swimming in and out of her eyes. Her face felt tingly, as if it was numb, and she was grateful for that.

"My mother is dead because of my magic, and Belle is dead because I refused to use it. Damned if I do and damned if I don't. Might as well make a few people happy by letting them get their revenge on me."

"That's crazy!" Emma shouted, finally breaking the queen from her ramblings. Emma stood then, pacing in front of the queen as she ran her hands through her hair. "Regina…this is suicide," she said finally, her mouth falling open as the words fell from it. She looked down at Regina then, and saw just how broken the woman was. Was this what it looked like when you had nothing else to live for? Emma had been low before, but she'd never even thought about ending it.

"I'm aware of that, Sheriff."

"And if these people were to come back, you would allow them to do this to you again?"

"Yes."

"You would allow them to kill you?"

Regina paused for only a moment, but gave a resolute nod. "If it came to that."

"No."

"What?"

"I'm not going to let you…kill yourself," Emma said in disbelief.

"Well, it's not really your choice to make, is it?"

"Oh yes it damn well is."

Regina lifted her head and watched as Emma knelt down and pulled the brunette to her feet, taking her arms and holding them behind her back. "Regina Mills, you are under arrest," she said as she helped the queen out into the hallway.

That seemed to light a fire beneath the queen and she stopped, trying to pull her arms from Emma's grasp. When that proved futile, she summoned her best glare at the sheriff and began to speak.

"You have got to me kidding—

"You have the right to remain silent. I suggest you use it."


	11. Chapter 11: Healing

Healing

Regina felt the constant pressure of Emma's hand on her head as she was pushed outside. It was gentle, but she was too weak to fight it as Emma pushed her head down, her short brown hair falling around her cheeks and shielding her from whoever might be watching. Were people watching? Had a crowd gathered to rejoice in their fallen queen? Regina heard no sounds that would indicate such, and she didn't have the will to move her head and see.

Her sudden upheaval from the floor had brought the dizziness back and she could feel herself swaying back and forth as she tried to keep her balance. Emma's other hand moved from the cuffs to slide around her waist, holding the two together and giving Regina support until they reached the car. Regina could see that it was the cruiser, and was mildly relieved that she would not have to maneuver her disoriented self into the small bug. Without a word Emma eased Regina into the back of the cruiser, shutting the door when she was settled. Regina lifted her head then, but dared not look behind her. Instead, she stared straight ahead, through the police grate, and watched as Emma lifted her garage door and began push her beaten Benz inside.

Why was she doing that? How did she get the keys? If that blonde bitch hotwired her car she would…

Regina's body involuntarily shook as she reminded herself that she would do nothing. She would do nothing even as she heard the pounding on the pavement, nearing her home. She would do nothing but wince at the sounds of her Benz being totaled, finishing the drink in her hand. Fear and survival instincts kicked in as they began to break down the door, and she remembered running upstairs and to her bedroom, locking it and backing away from it slowly.

Was this what it was like when someone hung themselves? Their fingers grasping blindly at the rope, body fighting to stay alive while the brain slipped into sweet oblivion? It certainly seemed accurate. For as she heard the sounds of her door being beaten in, booted feet running onto her hardwood floor, the sound of her house being torn apart, her heart rate increased and sweat began to pepper her forehead. But even as she began to breathe erratically and hide next to her bed, there was also an aura of calm surrounding her. This was the end. She wouldn't have to fight any more. And she was so tired of fighting. Fighting people who wanted her dead and fighting a life that seemed to want the same.

She remembered screaming when they finally came to her door, and kicked it open swiftly. It was a short scream of surprise, but they seemed to relish in it. Five or six pairs of shoes surrounded her. She thought for a moment about trying to remember the type of shoe, only to remember that she wouldn't need to. They said nothing as one of them picked her up and forced her stand. Out of habit she stood tall in front of them, lifting her chin and regarding their masked faces with false patronization. She'd only just had time to feel the tear falling down her face when the first blow was struck.

Everything was a blur from there. It was a black and blue haze of pain and drifting in and out of consciousness. Her body seemed to remember it fondly and she winced as each part gave out its own dose of discomfort. Regina let her head fall back against the headrest and closed her eyes. Why didn't they end it? Why didn't they just kill her? She knew they wanted to. She could feel it every time one of them steadied her for the next hit. They wanted to hit her so hard her neck would snap. And yet they refrained.

It was her fault, she supposed. She had been naïve in thinking that she would ever get something that she wanted. Her life had always been full of false hopes and lies. Now, not only was she not dead, but she was alive and in pain and apparently under arrest. Her lip arched in anger at that last one. It was slightly clever, she supposed, to arrest her. Emma knew she would never go willingly, and most certainly would have had to endure the abusers again. But that didn't mean she had to like it.

The sound of the car door opening broke the queen from her thoughts and she lifted her head as she watched Emma Swan plop into the driver's seat with more force than necessary. She glanced at Regina in the rearview mirror but otherwise said nothing as she started the cruiser and glided them quickly out of the driveway. Regina dared herself to look as they passed, and saw no one. No one but Emma had seen what had become of her. Then why the secrecy? She shot a raised eyebrow to the back of Emma's head but quickly dropped it, as that made her face hurt.

Emma made it to the station rather quickly and Regina watched as she scanned the parking lot and surrounding areas. Seemingly pleased, Emma exited and opened Regina's door, pulling her out quickly and taking care to lower her head again. While the brunette's dizziness had faded in the car, being pulled up and out again brought it back. However, before she had time to sway, Emma's hand was around her waist again, leading her into the station.

By the time they made it into the station, the reality of the situation was starting to sink in and she grimaced at the clacking of her heels on the tile.

"What are my charges, Sheriff?" she asked as haughtily as she could muster before she was placed in a chair. Lifting her head for the first time she saw that she was sitting at one of the many empty desks at the station. Two cells with dark green bars stared back at her, and she remembered all too vividly being kept in there when the wraith was chasing her soul. Emma had locked her up then too, to protect her, and she would have smiled at the coincidence if she wasn't sure her face would punish her for it.

Emma sighed and looked towards the door again, watching it as she rolled the sleeves of her shirt up. It was then Regina noticed the all black attire, and remembered painfully that Belle's funeral had been today. Another thing she had ruined simply by existing. Regina felt Emma's eyes upon her and forced herself to look to the floor, suddenly feeling very self-conscious of her face.

"There are a number of things I could arrest you for," Emma answered finally. "Cursing an entire town, kidnapping, attempting to rip out hearts…I could go on."

Regina could tell by Emma's tone that she was trying to be good natured, but there was too much truth behind the words.

"Somehow I don't think that would hold up in court here, should I decide to sue you for false imprisonment."

She heard Emma sigh, and there was the sound of rummaging through drawers before she spoke again. "Fine, how about impersonating a mayor?"

"How about impersonating a sheriff?"

"You know what? When you get a social security number, then you can sue me, okay?"

Emma's voice was now tinged with frustration but her fingers were gentle as Regina felt them being placed underneath her chin. She lifted her head willingly, meeting Emma's concerned eyes. The frustration seemed to leave them both as they stared, before Emma looked down and shook the camera that was in her hand.

"I'm sorry, Regina, but I need to take pictures."

Regina grimaced as best as her injuries would allow but did not argue as Emma held the camera up to her eyes. Fighting with the blonde about pictures would prove futile. It wasn't as if she cared who saw her in this state anymore. The queen had fallen long ago, and so had the last shreds of her pride. Regina felt tears pressing at the corners of her eyes but blinked them back as she heard the shutter click. A few agonizing moments later, and Emma was done, dropping the camera unceremoniously onto the desk Regina was sitting at.

The queen jumped at the sound, but used her scare to stand up, straightening her shirt. "Well, if you're quite finished playing cops and robbers, I'll be leaving—

Emma's hand was on her arm again, and Regina lifted her eyes to challenge the blonde. "Let me go. You've had your fun," she said cruelly, watching the hurt seep into the corners of Emma's eyes.

"I can't do that," Emma countered, her grip tightening on the queen's arm.

"Sheriff, so help me…."

"Regina," Emma breathed, her eyes rolling to the ceiling, "you can threaten me all you want, but we both know you aren't going to do shit. You're too fucked up right now."

Regina's eyebrow rose at the sound of the curse word but she was quick to counter. "Yes, well, leave it to you to capitalize on someone else's weakness."

"That's not fair."

"I didn't realize we were in kindergarten."

Emma opened her mouth to speak but turned it into a loud groan instead, her face become stoic. "Look, you may not care, but a crime has been committed against you. It's my job to find out who did it and bring them to justice."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you supposed to arrest the offender in these situations?"

"Yep, when I find them."

"Then why am I still in handcuffs?" Regina asked, giving her arms a slight tug to further the point.

Emma's cheeks seemed to redden for a moment and she paused to run a hand through her hair. "I plan on using you to find the culprits."

Regina's eyebrows rose again but she said nothing more, prompting Emma to continue on her own as she walked over and gently undid the cuffs.

"Look, I locked up your house as best as I could and put your Benz in the garage. If no one gets close enough, it looks like everything is fine. The only people who are going to get close enough are the ones that did this to you. And when they see that you're gone, nowhere to be found, they'll out themselves. And it keeps you safe in the process."

"I don't—

"Regina, whether you like it or not, you're now on suicide watch."

"I'm not suicidal," Regina scoffed, thankful that her hands were still behind her back so Emma couldn't see them shaking.

To her credit, Emma did not respond. Instead she went into her office and pulled out a bottle and a tumbler and carried them back over to where the queen was sitting. Regina rose her eyebrows, silently judging as Emma poured a generous amount of the liquid into the tumbler.

"Drinking on the job, sheriff?"

Again, Emma said nothing, but she did hold Regina's gaze as she slid the glass over to her.

"You need it more than I do, Madam Mayor."

A silence passed between them as Regina eyed the tumbler, her fingers massaging the indentations on her wrist. Emma didn't appear to be plotting. There was no sign of malice or trickery in those green eyes. To make it as painless as possible, Regina picked up the tumbler and downed it as quickly as she could, slamming a little harder than intended onto the table when she was done.

"Another?" Emma asked.

Regina shook her head before slowly lifting her eyes to meet Emma's.

"Am I really under arrest?" she asked, the rasp in her voice more prevalent.

Emma looked like she was in pain but she did manage to nod.

"Well," Regina said, defeated, "then I don't want any special treatment."

Emma watched as the queen stood and slowly made her way over to the green cells at the back of the room. She hadn't had much to drink, but it was still a sobering moment for her as she placed her hand on the metal green bars, feeling the smooth chill. She could feel Emma's eyes on her for what seemed like forever, but eventually the sheriff moved, and the jingling of the keys were heard. The ill-used door opened without a sound and Regina stepped through, ignoring Emma's hesitance before she closed them behind her.

The sound of the lock clicking into place was heard, and Regina exhaled a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She studied the room, noting the bed and sink and the high window that also had bars. She'd been imprisoned before. But this was the first time she felt that she belonged here.

0-0-0-0-0

"Regina, we've got to do something about your face," Emma said quietly.

"Why?" Regina bit back, wrapping her arms around herself. "Don't want to look at something unsightly while you're holding me hostage?"

"Don't be like that," the blonde answered, nearing the bars. "I'm trying to keep you safe. Whoever did this to you will know that you should be messed up, especially since the whole town now knows you swore off magic. If we get rid of the evidence, someone will notice. And that someone, will be the culprit."

Regina found that she had nothing to say. On the one hand, the idea of alleviating this pain was extremely tempting. But the other, darker part of her knew that she deserved this. She deserved to feel the throes and the throbbing. It was almost comforting, this succumbing to her fate. She had fought it for so long that to simply sit and take it…it seemed almost too easy.

"Are you going to do it, or am I?" Emma asked impatiently, breaking the queen from her thoughts.

Regina snorted in spite of herself and cast a patronizing glare down at Emma's hands. "You? Do you think you're qualified?"

"Not at all. But unless you'd rather have Rumpel do it I'm the only one you've got."

"You're not putting your hands anywhere near my face," Regina shot back sharply.

Emma groaned loudly and pulled herself closer to the bars, wrapping her hands around them. "Seriously, after all that we've been through you're going to be like that?"

"And what, exactly, have 'we' been through?"

Emma paused, knowing that she had taken the wrong tactic. She stepped away from the cell and took a deep breath, pulling the keys from her pocket. Without a word she unlocked Regina's cell and stepped inside. Regina's gaze turned slightly territorial, as if she had already claimed this cell and Emma was an unwanted visitor.

"We've been through a lot," Emma said with a smile, running her hand through her hair. "And the past few weeks we were the nicest we'd ever been to each other. Don't you miss that?"

Regina said nothing and Emma pressed forward again. "You said that magic has to do with desires, with what the user wants. I want nothing more than to heal you. If that's all I want, what's the worst that could happen?"

Regina had a million and one answers to that question, but when she met Emma's eyes to voice them, they disappeared. Emma was confident and kind, and a small, ill-used part of Regina wanted to trust her. Unable to speak it aloud, Regina merely resigned herself to sitting on the small bed. Emma gave a victorious, but not smug, grin and sat down next to the queen, lifting her arms.

Here, as Regina expected, the hesitance came. Emma looked between each of her hands and licked her lips, her brow furrowing in concentration.

"So…do I actually have to touch your face or…not that I don't want to!" Emma said, amending her words when she saw the queen's glare. "I mean, I just don't want to hurt you."

Regina sighed, already losing patience. "Given your lack of experience, touching would probably give you better results."

Emma nodded and slowly reached her hands towards Regina's face. The queen closed her eyes as they neared, bracing for the impact. However, Emma's hands, while not the softest, were incredibly gently when they finally met her skin. Regina could smell the faint scent of metal and coffee on them and she inhaled deeply. There were a few moments of silence as Emma braced herself for the magic. Her stomach was knotting at the thought of messing up, and also at the image of Regina's face in her hands. In different circumstances, she would have enjoyed the mental images that this scene produced but right now, her only thought was to take Regina's pain away.

Slowly, Emma let the magic pulse through her, feeling as it threaded itself from her heart and down her arms, until it reached the tips of her fingers. As she felt it leave her, Emma focused on healing Regina, taking her pain away, and anything of the sort that would keep her focus.

From beneath her palms she could feel the swelling recede, and she smiled as she watched the purples and greens and reds disappear, leaving Regina's smooth olive skin in its place. Regina, too, felt the pain ebb away as warm magic caressed her face. It was a slow process, as Emma was still learning, but never uncomfortable and when she finally opened her eyes, she couldn't stop the small smile that reached the corners of her lips.

Emma returned the smile with a much broader one of her own, now daring to move her fingers down Regina's cheek and under her chin, admiring the handy work.

It was then that she noticed the goosebumps.

It was just a small speckling of them, but they were there, arising on the queen's neck as her fingers finished ghosting under her chin. Without thinking, Emma brought her fingertips to Regina's neck, and traced them down, across the goosebumps and creating more. She could see Regina's chin quivering in her peripheral and Emma lifted her eyes to the queen's. They were dark, nervous, and threatening. Her mouth was open just slightly, as if she'd just let out a moan. Emma felt her mouth going dry as she let her fingers linger on Regina's skin, amazed that they weren't being pushed away.

The thought of kissing Regina had crossed her mind, she wouldn't lie. After all, she was a beautiful, powerful woman. Sexual attraction was based on the physical first, the emotional second in her book and so it could only be assumed that anyone who saw Regina had thought of kissing her. But despite all of her fantasies, Emma had never thought that she would actually be put in this position. And now that she was here, Emma knew that she wanted more than anything to kiss the woman in front of her.

Which is why Emma moved her hand away and stood up, taking a step back. Emma's movements also seemed to break Regina from her trance and she closed her mouth, running her own hands over her face to test Emma's handiwork.

"You didn't turn my face green or anything, I assume?" she said haughtily, her eyes shining.

"Of course not. You've always had that wart, right?" Emma joked back, pleased when the queen rolled her eyes, but ran her hand over her face once more.

A car door slammed shut outside and the joviality quickly left the room. Emma exited the cell and shut the door, locking it out of habit. Regina stood but did not move closer. Both women waited in a tense silence until they heard the sound of high heels clicking on the tile. Emma breathed a sigh of relief as Ruby rushed into the office. She opened her mouth, ready to give her report, until she saw the queen behind the bars. Ruby's mouth dropped open then, her finger lifting lazily to flit between the two other women.

"Relax, Ruby," Emma said quickly, looking back at Regina. "I'll explain everything."


End file.
